After news about MSC ships successfully transiting the Strait of Hormuz on 18 April, reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) report that three container ships were attacked near the waterway.

Media reports name the ships that were reportedly attacked on Wednesday, 22 April. Two of them are the MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, both operated by the MSC.

Relevant reports claim the two MSC ships were seized by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and taken towards Iran.

According to the news, boxship Epaminondas was fired upon by an Iranian gunboat, with heavy damage reported to the bridge while the crew were understood to be safe. Epaminondas is operated by MSC and owned by Greece’s Technomar Shipping.

Similarly, reports mention that MSC Francesca also sustained damages.

A third ship, Euphoria, was also reported targeted nearby. The UKMTO said Euphoria came under attack during the same period and that the crew were safe; no damage was reported in those updates.

Euphoria was described as Panama-flagged and owned by a UAE-based company.

Earlier this week, Linerlytica reported that MSC had moved six ships out through the Strait over the weekend after switching off AIS transponders near the passage and resuming transmissions only once clear of the Persian Gulf.

Among them are the 19,224 TEU vessel, MSC Clara, and the 9,200-TEU MSC Madeleine.