Despite President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian military boarded and apprehended two container ships that had attempted to traverse the shipping waterway, with Tehran claiming victory on Sunday over what they called “maritime piracy by U.S. terrorist forces,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
The two vessels – the MSC Francesca and Epaminondas – were boarded and apprehended last Wednesday by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) according to reports, with the IRGC confirming the incident on Sunday.
Both vessels are managed by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s single-largest container shipping company. While MSC is headquartered in Switzerland, Tehran claimed, without evidence, that the vessels were “Israeli-owned,” and said the operation was carried out “in response to what it called ‘maritime piracy by U.S. terrorist forces,’” the Journal reported.
Both vessels were redirected to the Port of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest container port located along the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News reported.
“The IRGC also warned the U.S. and its allies against further military action, pledging a strong response and reiterating Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz,” the Journal’s report reads.