Naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked and diverted two MSC-operated containerships at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, opening fire on the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca in the first seizure of merchant tonnage since the war began on February 28, though Athens disputes that word for one of the two ships.
The attack marks a turn in Iranian tactics, from denying transit to confiscating assets, and it came on the same day that planners from more than 30 nations gathered at the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood to design a multinational protection mission for merchant shipping. The choice of target carries its own message. MSC is the world's largest container line, and if its ships can be fired on and marched into Iranian waters, no operator can assume that scale or neutrality confers protection.
Small arms and rockets before dawn
The Epaminondas, a 6,690 TEU ship on charter to MSC and owned by George Youroukos' Technomar, was eastbound at about 03:55 local time when an IRGC gunboat opened fire roughly 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, hitting the vessel with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The bridge took substantial damage. No injuries were reported among the crew.
The MSC Francesca, an Italian-owned Neo Panamax unit (IMO 9401116), had been stationary inside the Persian Gulf since April 16, waiting to enter the Gulf of Oman on a voyage to Sri Lanka. According to industry reports, she was fired upon and escorted into Iranian waters, where she went dark before reappearing off the Iranian coast.
Iranian statements said the two ships were stopped while attempting to leave the Gulf covertly and without authorization, accused their crews of tampering with navigation aids, and claimed one of the vessels belonged to Israel. MSC did not confirm that assertion.
Attack or seizure, Athens and Tehran disagree
Greece's Shipping Ministry pushed back on the word seizure. In Athens' account, the Epaminondas was attacked and extensively damaged but remained under her captain's control throughout. Tehran claimed both ships were seized. The gap between those accounts matters for underwriters and for the legal framing of any allied response, and neither side has closed it.
Panama, flag state of the MSC Francesca, condemned the operation on April 23 as an illegal act and an unnecessary escalation, the Tico Times reported. Reports circulating on April 23 indicated that both vessels had been escorted toward Bandar Abbas with transponders switched off and were released the following day.
Thirty flags, one plan at Northwood
The timing was pointed. As the IRGC moved against the two boxships, defense officials from more than 30 nations convened at Northwood for a two-day planning conference on April 22 and 23 to shape a strictly defensive multinational mission: protect merchant shipping, reassure operators and clear mines. The conference was led by France and the UK, which framed the effort in a joint statement, and it built on the previous week's Paris summit, where 51 countries called for the strait's unconditional and immediate reopening. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the task was to "translate the diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation," according to the UK government's announcement.
Other tracks moved in parallel on April 23. President Trump ordered the US Navy to destroy Iranian minelaying boats, and the IMO Council adopted a Singapore-led resolution on shipping lanes and freedom of navigation. All of it plays out over a waterway carrying roughly 5 percent of its pre-war traffic, throttled since April 13 by the American blockade of Iran-bound shipping.
What to watch
Three questions now hang over the strait. First, how quickly the Northwood plan hardens into an actual escort mission, and which navies commit hulls rather than communiques. Second, whether Tehran treats the April 22 operation as a one-off demonstration or as the start of a confiscation campaign intended to raise the price of any reopening effort; a state that has moved from firing warning shots to holding a Neo Panamax has found a cheaper form of leverage than mines. Third, how MSC and the other major liners respond, because a carrier whose ships are being boarded cannot keep pricing the Gulf as a normal risk. If the world's largest container line cannot pass unmolested on the very day 30 nations meet to protect shipping, Iran has, in effect, made the case for turning that plan into ships at sea.
As Editor in Chief of The Maritime, I lead content development, interviews, and digital storytelling across our multimedia maritime platform. With over 10 years of experience in the maritime industry, I create and publish in-depth stories and video features that highlight key players, emerging trends, and operational realities across global shipping. Before launching The Maritime, I worked as a Vessel Operator at Imza Marine A.S., gaining hands-on commercial shipping and voyage operations experience. I also served as Marketing Communications Specialist at Gimas Ship Supply & Services, where I managed corporate communication, digital strategy, and industry outreach for shipowners and maritime clients. I hold a Master’s degree in Maritime Transportation Management from Istanbul Technical University and a Master’s degree in Publishing from Marmara University. My work is driven by the belief that the maritime world deserves strong, informed, and accessible media representation. I am committed to sharing the stories of maritime professionals and contributing to the sector’s visibility, knowledge exchange, and future development.
