Tensions in key global shipping lanes escalated sharply as Iran released footage of its forces seizing a container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, while United States forces carried out a separate boarding of a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean. The video, circulated by Iranian authorities, shows the Liberia-flagged EPAMINONDAS being intercepted and escorted into Iranian territorial waters following an attack that left it immobilised.
The vessel, owned by Greek interests through Technomar Shipping, was targeted alongside another container ship, MSC Francesca, during the same operation on 22 April. Technomar confirmed that Iranian forces boarded the EPAMINONDAS, describing the move as a serious escalation.
The ship’s crew of 21 Ukrainian and Filipino seafarers were reported safe, with no injuries or environmental damage. The incident highlights the growing dangers facing commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which a significant share of global energy supplies passes.
Maritime security concerns have intensified in recent days amid a broader standoff disrupting freedom of navigation in the region. In a parallel development, US forces boarded a tanker identified as Majestic X, also known as Phonix, in the Indian Ocean, according to the US Department of War.
The vessel, a very large crude carrier, had been placed on the US sanctions list in December 2024 for transporting Iranian oil. US officials said the operation was a maritime interdiction targeting a “sanctioned stateless vessel” operating within the Indo-Pacific command area, adding that international waters could not be used as cover for illicit activity.
The boarding follows a string of recent enforcement actions by Washington, including the seizure of other vessels linked to Iranian oil shipments, and comes amid a spike in confrontations at sea. The latest incidents mark a sharp increase in direct action by both Iran and the United States, raising fears of further disruption to global trade routes and energy markets as the strategic waterways of the Middle East become an increasingly contested arena.