Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks deepen as Iran fires on ships and seizes two tankers

Tensions rose again in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after Iran attacked three ships near the key waterway. The channel’s closure has already disrupted global energy supplies. Tankers carrying about a fifth of the world’s oil were blocked from passing. The attacks came one day after US President Donald Trump said the two-week ceasefire with Iran would be extended.

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Iran said it fired on three outbound ships and seized two of them. Iran described the action as retaliation for an American naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran also cited the U.S. firing on and seizing an Iranian ship. Iran said that ship failed to stop when hailed by a vessel enforcing the blockade.

Strait of Hormuz attacks return after a mid-March lull

Shipping attacks had fallen from mid-March as Iran imposed control over the strait. Even the threat of strikes discouraged many vessels from trying to cross. A small number used an Iranian-approved route close to the coast. Iran demanded details on cargo, ownership and crew. On some occasions, Iran imposed a USD1 per barrel tax, or USD 2 million for a large tanker.

Iran’s semiofficial media reported that the Revolutionary Guard attacked a vessel called the Euphoria on Wednesday. Nour News, Fars and Mehr reported the ship was stranded on Iran’s coast. The reports did not explain further. Iranian state television separately said the Guard seized the other two ships involved in the attacks.

The Wednesday incident followed two ship attacks on Saturday, ending a lull that began in mid-March. The seized ships were the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, both container ships. It remained unclear under what terms the ships tried to pass. MSC did not respond to an email seeking comment about the vessel.

Signals from Iran also shifted over the weekend and added to uncertainty. The Iranian foreign minister said on Friday that the strait was open. The Revolutionary Guard contradicted that statement on Saturday. Six cruise ships stuck in the Persian Gulf since late February used the short opening. Since then, traffic has largely dried up again.

"The resumption of attacks reflects in part genuine confusion... about when passage is permitted, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.\" Conflicting statements came from Trump about a full reopening. The Iranian foreign minister spoke about a limited reopening. Soltvedt said the situation changed fast when the Guard declared the strait closed.

Soltvedt said Iran also benefits from keeping insurance costs high through occasional attacks. \"Their main leverage in negotiations with the U.S. is being able to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and insurance is a big part of that.\" Some vessels cleared Iranian vetting, while others relied on diplomatic requests. Hundreds of ships and thousands of crew members still remained stuck.

Strait of Hormuz blockade disputes as Iranian oil still moves

The US Navy boarded and seized a large tanker carrying Iranian oil south of the Bay of Bengal. The seizure happened in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 miles from the strait. The case showed the US could act long after ships left the area. The US military said it had turned around 20 Iran-linked vessels.

Shipping intelligence firms, however, reported some Iranian oil shipments still moved. Lloyds List Intelligence said shadow fleet traffic continued in and out of the gulf. It reported 11 tankers with Iranian cargo left the gulf outside the strait since April 13. This created questions about how fully the blockade was being enforced.

\"The dilemma for the US is: The tighter the blockade, the greater the pain is in the global oil market, so there are conflicting priorities there, and it seems there is a policy of not intercepting every single shipment of Iranian oil, Soltvedt said.\" Soltvedt added that almost all the oil was going to China. Trump was planning to visit from May 14 to 15.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Central Command, confirmed on Wednesday that the blockade covered all Iranian ships. The restriction applied to vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. Hawkins said humanitarian cargo was still allowed after inspection. This included food, medical supplies and other civilian essentials. Hawkins also rejected reports of ships slipping through the U.S. net.

Hawkins pointed to comments from Adm Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command. Cooper said on Friday that no ship had evaded US forces. The competing claims have added to uncertainty for ship owners and insurers. That uncertainty has also contributed to reduced traffic in the area.

Strait of Hormuz reopening timeline may stretch for weeks

Even if a peace deal is announced, the return to normal shipping may be slow. Ship owners and insurers may not rely on a simple statement after weeks of conflict. Rystad Energy said it would take six to eight weeks to reposition the world’s tanker network. It also estimated two to five weeks for firms to adjust to new operating conditions.

\"Ship owners will want something thats a bit more concrete than what we have now, Soltvedt said.\" Soltvedt argued that an informal truce would not be enough. Soltvedt said key disputes remained, including Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Soltvedt also warned that Iran’s missile and drone capacity would keep risks high.

The outlook for passage through the Strait of Hormuz remained uncertain as attacks resumed and policy signals stayed mixed. Iran continued to cite the US blockade and ship seizures to justify its actions. The US maintained it was stopping Iranian shipping while permitting inspected humanitarian cargo. With insurers and operators still cautious, normal traffic looked unlikely to return quickly.

With inputs from PTI