Iran Seizes Three Vessels as Hormuz Traffic Crawls

(MENAFN) Commercial vessel activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained markedly subdued during the 24-hour window ending at 1200 GMT Wednesday, as mounting uncertainty surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire continued to weigh heavily on regional maritime confidence.

Tracking data recorded a modest flow of traffic through the strategically vital waterway, with eight vessels navigating from the Arabian Gulf toward the Oman Gulf, and seven making the return passage from east to west.

According to AIS data, westbound traffic included the Iran-flagged cargo ship Mehrsam 13709 departing the UAE; the India-flagged Safina Al Yakub 1408 operating near Emirati ports; the Mali-flagged asphalt-bitumen tanker Pacific Explorer out of the UAE; the Cameroon-flagged landing craft Polaris en route from the UAE to Oman; the Comoros-flagged Harapan Perdana IX traveling from Iran to the UAE; the Bahamas-flagged oil and chemical tanker Musik departing the UAE; and the Panama-flagged container ship MSC Francesca sailing from Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka.

Notably, the Türkiye-flagged crude oil tanker Ottoman Equity, inbound from Singapore to the UAE, approached the strait before reversing course back toward the Gulf of Oman — a sign of prevailing navigational caution in the area.

Eastbound movements included the Sri Lanka-flagged Albasher 1 out of the UAE; the Bolivia-flagged RT 10 sailing from Iran to Oman; the Barbados-flagged oil products tanker Rangver from the UAE to Oman; the Comoros-flagged Al Batha traveling from Iran to the UAE; the Panama-flagged Euphoria from the UAE to Saudi Arabia; the Panama-flagged tanker LPG Sevan from Bangladesh to the UAE; the Iran-flagged crude oil tanker Atlantis II heading from Iran to Saudi Arabia; and the Iran-flagged landing craft LCT Hengami Qeshm departing Iranian waters.

In a significant escalation, TankerTrackers confirmed that three vessels — Euphoria, Epaminodes, and MSC Francesca — were intercepted and seized by Iranian forces. Tehran stated the ships had attempted to exit the strait "covertly" and were detained following intelligence-based surveillance operations.

The maritime tensions unfolded against a backdrop of delicate diplomacy. U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended the ongoing two-week ceasefire with Iran, granting Tehran additional time to formulate a "unified proposal" — a decision made at the request of Pakistani officials. Islamabad's intensifying diplomatic engagement is widely seen as clearing the path for a second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, anticipated to take place shortly in the Pakistani capital.

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