Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, on Thursday released a video that purportedly showed its forces seizing a civilian ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC attacked three container ships in the strait on Wednesday morning using small boats. Iranian state media said two of the ships were boarded and taken hostage by IRGC forces. The crew of the ships said they were attacked without warning, and at least one ship believed it had been granted safe passage through the strait by Iran.
The IRGC video, clearly edited for dramatic effect, shows speedboats full of masked operatives approaching the MSC Francesca, a container ship flagged to Panama. The Iranian terrorists use a ladder to climb aboard the ship.
The Francesca reportedly suffered damage from “gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades” before it was forced to drop anchor. Iranian state media claimed the ship was attacked because it “belonged to the Zionist regime” in Israel.
The video then showed a similar operation conducted against the Greek-owned, Libera-flagged cargo ship Epanimondas, which Iranian state media claimed was “attempting to secretly exit the Strait of Hormuz without a license” and “jeopardizing maritime security.”
The video concluded with footage of masked Iranian gunmen prowling through an unspecified vessel, weapons in hand.
The government of the Philippines announced on Thursday that 15 of its citizens were working as crew aboard the two captured ships – ten on the Epaminodas and five on the Francesca. The statement said the Filipinos were “safe and unharmed” in Iranian captivity, and “their families have been informed and are receiving government support.”
Montenegro also said on Thursday that some of its citizens were aboard the MSC Francesca.
“The ship is anchored nine nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing, our sailors are fine,” said Montenegro’s minister of maritime affairs, Filip Radulovic.
The company that manages the Epaminodas, Technomar, said it has a crew of 21 Filipinos and Ukrainians.
“Technomar remains in close communication with the relevant authorities in the region. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our crew as we work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure their continued safety and urgently resolve the matter,” the company said on Thursday.
Iran’s deputy parliamentary speaker, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, claimed on Thursday that Iran has begun collecting tolls for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The first revenue from the Strait of Hormuz has been deposited into the Central Bank account,” he said.
Another Iranian lawmaker, Alireza Salimi, told Iranian state news that fees for safe passage are being calculated based on the value of each vessel’s cargo. He also claimed that the fees “are currently being deposited into a unified account and the treasury.”