An India-bound ship was among two vessels seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. This incident is bound to escalate tensions between India and Iran. IRGC attacked three ships out of which one was headed to India. All three vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz” through the Persian Gulf. They were identified as Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, and Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Euphoria. Epaminondas declared India as its destination and was the first vessel to come under gunfire on Wednesday. The IRGC opened fire on the container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge.
The ship coming from Dubai was supposed to arrive on Gujarat’s Mundra Port but is now under the custody of IRGC. Recently, the IRGC has also taken control over Iran’s state functions. Iran’s chokehold on the waterway has crippled oil supplies and sent crude prices soaring. This development comes days after two Indian vessels, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, came under fire from the Iranian navy despite Tehran’s assurance that ships of India wouldn’t be targeted. Sanmar Herald was transporting oil from Iraq to India. Jag Arnav, meanwhile, was transporting oil from Iraq to India. Following the attack, India summoned the Iranian envoy and flagged its “deep concern” over the incident.
