Iran soldiers storm ships in Strait of Hormuz with rifles as Trump blockade falls apart | World | News
As fears of a new escalation of tension in the Middle East increase, Iranian soldiers were seen attacking a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Footage published by the Tasnim news agency showed soldiers boarding the MSC Francesca and Epaminondas on the vital shipping route on Wednesday.
Men wearing balaclavas can be seen approaching the ships in their own small boats, then climbing up the stairs and attacking the ship with weapons. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said the ships were transferred to the Iranian coast after “disrupting order and security in the Strait of Hormuz was considered a red line for Iran.”
The first attack targeted the Greek-flagged Epaminodas, 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. An IRGC “gun boat” opened fire on the ship, causing heavy damage to the ship’s bridge, the UK Center for Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.
Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Epaminondas “ignored warnings” from the country’s armed forces before opening fire on a “gun boat” of the Revolutionary Guard.
Vanguard told the BBC that the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca was hit about six nautical miles off Iran while heading towards the Gulf of Oman. There was “damage to the hull and accommodation”.
A third attack involving the Panama-flagged Euphoria also took place on Wednesday, targeting eight nautical miles west of Iran, UKMTO said.
The crew is safe and in good health and no damage has been reported to the ship, which is owned by a UAE-based company.
Iran has previously threatened to launch a devastating attack on US ships as peace talks are on the verge of collapse.
An Iranian security official has warned that a US seizure of the country’s ships would be a “big gamble” that would make American ships legitimate targets for retaliation.
“From today onwards, all US-owned ships will be legitimate targets of Iran’s asymmetric operations,” he told Al Jazeera.
The official added that Washington appears to have embarked on the conflict and subsequent naval blockade without taking into account the high level of risk involved.
He said Iran has a lot of skill and experience in engaging in conflicts where there is a significant difference in the military capabilities that both sides have.
