Summary
US forces have boarded a ship carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean, the US military says
It comes as the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament says Iran has received the first tolls from shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
He did not say who paid the tolls, or how much they were, and the BBC has not verified his claim
Donald Trump has previously said the US would target ships if they pay Iran to use the strait
Yesterday, Iran attacked three cargo ships as they tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz – and claimed it seized two of them. BBC Verify has analysed footage, said to be of the seizures, released by Iranian media
Ordinary people in Tehran are worried about the economy, reports Lyse Doucet from the city – but their leaders won’t capitulate
US forces board sanctioned ship in Indian Ocean, defence department says
US forces have interdicted a sanctioned vessel that is transporting oil from Iran, the country’s defence department has posted on X.
“US forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean,” the statement says.
The department says that the US military will continue to interdict vessels suspected of “providing material support to Iran”.
A maritime interdiction refers to the interception or inspection of a vessel by a navy on ships suspected to be hostile or in violation of the law.
The US has intercepted dozens of vessels since it began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. It is not intercepting these ships near Iran, but further away in the Indian Ocean.
Image source,US Department of DefenceBy Paul Brown
BBC Verify has looked into a video said to show the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approaching two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which appears to have been filmed after they were initially attacked.
The two-minute video shows small boats carrying armed men approaching the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, both of which reported being fired upon yesterday morning.
While the cargo ships are clearly identifiable, aerial shots appear to have been filmed around 15:00 BST (17:00 local time) due to the direction they are sailing matching with vessel-tracking data at this time. This is several hours after the initial reported attack – and there are other indications parts of the footage may have been staged for the camera.
For example, the hatch through which the men board the MSC Francesca is already open when the Iranian boat arrives. Another clip filmed on board the MSC Francesca also captures their arrival, suggesting someone was already in place on the vessel to record it.
A different shot shows a boat approaching the stern of the Greek-owned Epaminondas, though it is unclear whether subsequent footage featuring the inside of a ship was filmed on board it or on the MSC Francesca.
Greek authorities have denied Epaminondas has been seized, saying its captain remains in control.
Ship tracking data shows the Epaminondas leaving the area and heading north-west towards Qeshm Island before its transponders were switched off. The MSC Francesca’s transponders were also turned off yesterday, after broadcasting the ship remained in the area of the attack for several hours.
