Three cargo ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was extending the US–Iran ceasefire. According to the UKMTO, the first vessel was fired on by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while Iranian reports claim the IRGC also struck the other two ships, with two of the vessels later being seized.
The developments come amid heightened tensions over the US maintaining a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz ahead of planned talks with Iran in Pakistan, the status of which is now unclear after the US vice-president did not travel as expected. Iran has dismissed the ceasefire extension as meaningless, while analysts warn the escalating situation is making the key shipping route increasingly unsafe and threatening global trade.
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