Iran Fires on Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Seizes Two as Tensions Rise in Critical Waterway

Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them, intensifying its assault on shipping in a waterway crucial to global energy supplies and complicating already faltering efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war.

The attacks were carried out by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian media, which reported that the force seized two of the ships and was bringing them to Iran. This marks an escalation by Iran’s leaders, who appear poised to drive a harder bargain with American negotiators after President Donald Trump said the U.S. Would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran that had been due to expire on Wednesday.

Despite the extension, Trump also seemed to dig in, saying the U.S. Would continue to blockade Iranian ports. That set the stage for continued disruption to traffic in the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas pass in peacetime, even if the ceasefire largely holds.

The longer the strait remains closed, the more severe and widespread the effects will be — and the longer it will take the economy to bounce back. Already the conflict has sent gas prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.

The incidents occurred on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, following a day in which Iran displayed ballistic missiles during pro-government demonstrations in Tehran. A Jordan-flagged cargo ship named the “Baghdad” was observed sailing in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on the same day.

U.S. Forces had previously seized an Iranian ship and boarded a tanker linked to Tehran’s oil trade, contributing to the cycle of retaliation that has defined the conflict since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026. Iran retaliated with attacks that effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, spiking oil prices worldwide and highlighting the waterway’s strategic importance.

Diplomatic efforts to resume peace talks in Pakistan are now uncertain, with a second round of negotiations in doubt after Vice President JD Vance was expected to lead a delegation that may no longer proceed. The ceasefire extension was intended to give Iranian leaders time to “come up with a unified proposal,” but the latest attacks suggest Tehran is using military action to strengthen its position at the negotiating table.

The disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continues to pose significant risks to global energy markets, with any prolonged closure threatening to amplify inflationary pressures and disrupt supply chains for industries dependent on timely oil and gas deliveries.