Caught in the Middle: Shipping and Seafarers in the Hormuz Escalation
Reports on 22 April confirm that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has taken control of two container ships linked to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company as they attempted to exit the Persian Gulf.
According to UK Maritime Trade Operations, the first incident involved the Panama flagged MSC Francesca, which was approached by an IRGC gunboat around 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel reported being fired upon without warning, sustaining significant bridge damage before its AIS track showed it moving toward the Iranian coast.
Roughly three hours later, the Liberia flagged Epaminondas, a Greek-owned ship operating under MSC charter, also reported coming under fire about eight nautical miles from Iran and was subsequently stopped.
Iranian state linked media later stated both vessels had been seized, alleging they were operating without required permits and had disrupted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incidents follow earlier U.S. interdictions of Iranian linked vessels and form part of a broader escalation impacting commercial traffic through the region.
For the crews on board, the situation remains uncertain. Hundreds of ships, and the people on them, are currently unable to safely transit the Strait.
The International Maritime Organisation has been working on a plan to establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate seafarers once conditions allow. Around 800 vessels remain in the Gulf, with any coordinated movement dependent on de-escalation and confirmation that the waterway is clear of threats, including mines.
Current discussions include prioritising departures based on how long crews have been stranded, along with other operational factors. Any evacuation would likely follow the long established Traffic Separation Scheme in the Strait of Hormuz, originally proposed by Iran and Oman and adopted by the IMO in 1968.
As IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has said, the focus is on getting seafarers out safely, not the cargo.