Iran releases video of seizure of Epaminondas in Strait of Hormuz

A video released by the Revolutionary Guards purportedly shows the seizure of the Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz. The video shows armed and masked Iranian soldiers climbing over the side of a cargo ship.

WATCH: Liberia-flagged container ship MSC Epaminondas being boarded by a special forces team from the IRGC Navy as it attempted to breach the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/ZcMAilJRBw

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 22, 2026

International media reports indicate that the Epaminondas, along with the MSC Francesca, has already entered Iranian territorial waters, while maritime tracking data shows it moving northwest at a speed of approximately 14.8 knots. According to the latest reports, it is heading towards the Iranian island of Qeshm. Technomar, owned by George Gioroukou, confirmed that the ship has 21 crew members, of Ukrainian and Filipino nationality, stressing that all are in good health and no injuries or pollution incidents have been reported.

The Chronicle of Contradictory Information

The incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, April 22, when the ship, with a capacity of 94,769 dwt and under the flag of Liberia, was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.

According to the official announcement of the company, the “Epaminondas” was approached by a manned speedboat and came under fire at around 06:50 local time, in a security incident that was initially not fully clarified.

A few hours later, Iranian media, citing the Revolutionary Guards, reported that the “Epaminondas” and the “MSC Francesca” had been seized and were being taken to Iran.

However, at that stage, both the Ministry of Shipping and Technomar denied the relevant reports. The company, in its first statement on Wednesday afternoon, spoke only of a “security incident,” without confirming a seizure.

This image was completely overturned a few hours later, when the company itself, in a later statement, confirmed that the ship “has since been seized by Iranian forces,” while the boarding of armed men and the change of course towards Larak confirmed the escalation of the incident. The incident also takes on a geopolitical dimension, as according to American media, US President Donald Trump does not consider the seizure of the two ships by Iran to be a violation of the current ceasefire, a position that is reported to have been expressed by the White House.

Technomar states that it remains in close communication with the competent authorities and that its priority is the safety of the crew and the rapid de-escalation of the situation, while diplomatic and operational contacts are expected to continue on the development of the case.

According to information, at least one ship managed to pass the hours that followed the Iranian settlements on the three merchant ships. The Ascanio, a cargo ship of Greek interests with a Marshall Islands flag, which had delivered food to Iran, crossed the Straits late Wednesday night and is now heading south, to the Gulf of Oman.