Iran says it has seized two cargo ships in Strait of Hormuz after three vessels attacked- morn.news

Geographical map displaying the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for global energy transport. The map shows the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, bordered by Iran to the north and the Arabian Peninsula to the south. Kharg Island is marked on the western side of the Persian Gulf. The visualization uses color coding with blue water bodies, tan and brown terrain representing desert landscapes and mountain ranges of Iran and surrounding regions. Red text labels identify key geographic features including Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Kharg Island. The map illustrates the strategic importance of this vital international shipping lane through which a significant portion of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes daily. Terrain features show the mountainous topography of Iran’s interior and the coastal geography of the Arabian Peninsula. Earth textures taken from https://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-raster-data/10m-natural-earth-2.

TEHRAN, IRAN – JUNE 28: People hold flags near posters displaying assassinated military leaders, including Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC Hossein Salami (C), as thousands of Iranians attend the funeral ceremony for approximately 60 people killed in Israeli strikes on Iran, including high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, during a state funeral service in Enqelab Square on June 28, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. Israel and Iran traded daily aerial attacks over a 12-day period until a ceasefire took effect on June 24. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

OMAN – APRIL 08: A view of the vessels heading towards the Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. (Photo by Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Iran has attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian reports say, after Donald Trump said he was extending the US-Iran ceasefire

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has seized two of the three ships, and is escorting them to the Iranian coast – here’s a round-up of the attacks

Trump said last night he was extending the ceasefire, while also maintaining the US blockade of Iranian ports, which is designed to put pressure on Iran before talks with the US in Pakistan

But the status of those talks is unclear – US Vice-President JD Vance did not depart for Pakistan as expected on Tuesday

An adviser to Iran’s parliamentary speaker says the ceasefire extension “means nothing”, calling it “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”

The Strait of Hormuz is now too dangerous for all but a trickle of traffic, writes Frank Gardner – it is deeply damaging for both Iran and the global economy.-Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says the country is “closely monitoring developments” in the political arena, in response to requests for a ceasefire from Pakistan, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

In a post on Telegram, IRNA quotes Baghaei as saying Iran will take “necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard Iran’s national interests and security”.

Last night, US President Donald Trump announced he would extend the ceasefire on Pakistan’s request, citing what he called Iran’s “seriously fractured” government.

On the possibility of further negotiations with Washington, Baghaei says: “Diplomacy is a tool for securing national interests and security, and whenever we conclude that the necessary and reasonable conditions exist to use this tool… we will take action.”

Esmail Baghaei earlier gave an interview to the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet