Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz Nearly Comes to a Standstill; Iran Seized a Vessel for the First Time Earlier

Earlier on Thursday, only one ship remained sailing in the waterway, with no vessels seen entering the channel. The product tanker Ocean Jewel stopped at the entrance to the channel, halting passage shortly after Iranian forces opened fire on three vessels. Among the targeted ships, MSC Francesca and Epaminondas were subsequently boarded and inspected by Iranian troops, marking a new phase in Tehran’s efforts to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Within hours after the shooting incident, at least one vessel managed to transit the strait. The Ascanio, a Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, passed through the strait later on Wednesday and is now heading toward the southern Gulf of Oman.