Ships come under attack in Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remained uncertain on Wednesday (April 22) after U.S. President Donald Trump indefinitely suspended attacks on Iran. The strait remained blocked, with reports of three vessels hit by gunfire and others boarded by Iran. Neither side attended peace talks in Pakistan that had been scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Investors avoided riskier assets amid the uncertainty. Oil prices fell below $100 a barrel after Trump’s announcement on Tuesday and continued to fluctuate around that level on Wednesday morning. Optimism over a possible end to the war remained limited, as the strait was still largely closed and there were no signs that negotiations would resume.

At the same time that he announced what appeared to be a unilateral extension of the ceasefire, Trump said the U.S. naval blockade on Iran’s maritime trade would remain in place. Iran considers the blockade an act of war and has said it will not reopen the strait, whose closure has triggered a global energy crisis, as long as the U.S. measure remains in force.

Pakistan, acting as mediator, had cleared out a luxury hotel in Islamabad for last-minute talks on Tuesday in an effort to reach an agreement before the end of a two-week ceasefire. Iran, however, never confirmed its participation, and the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, did not leave Washington, leaving the nearly two-month-old war in deadlock and with no clear solution for reopening Hormuz.

There was no immediate response from senior Iranian officials to Trump’s ceasefire announcement, although initial reactions in Tehran suggested skepticism. An adviser to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the announcement could be a maneuver. Hours before suspending the attacks, Trump had reiterated threats to resume them, saying U.S. forces were “ready to act.”

Attacks and boardings in Hormuz

On Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, said at least three container ships had reported being hit by gunfire in the strait.

The master of one vessel reported being approached by an Iranian speedboat northeast of Oman. The ship came under fire and rocket attack, and its bridge sustained significant damage, although there were no reports of casualties or environmental damage.

Two other vessels said they were attacked about eight nautical miles west of Iran, also with no injuries reported. UKMTO did not specify who was responsible for the gunfire in those incidents.

Tasnim, the news agency affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Iran had not requested an extension of the ceasefire and repeated threats to break the U.S. blockade by force. It also reported that the Revolutionary Guard navy had seized two vessels for alleged maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian territory.

According to the Guard, the vessels, identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, were detained for “operating without authorization and manipulating navigation systems,” which it said put maritime safety at risk.

Source: Valor Econômico

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