IRGC releases details of vessel seized on suspicion of cooperation with US military

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has released the details of a ship it had recently seized and transferred to Iranian territorial waters after suspecting it of cooperation with the US military.

The Corps included the details of the vessel, identified as Epaminodes, in a statement on Saturday.

It described the vessel as "a container ship that had been en route to Mundra Port in India."

"The vessel is currently sailing under the Liberian flag. Its last recorded position dates back two days, near [Iran's] Larak Island, east of the Strait of Hormuz," it added.

"According to recorded data, the ship made 36 stops at 11 different US ports between October 2024 and January 2026, during which it unloaded approximately 299,000 tons of cargo."

The Corps announced interception of the vessel alongside another ship, named as MSC-Francesca, which it said belongs to the Israeli regime, on Wednesday.

The vessels, it said at the time, were operating without authorization, committing repeated violations, tampering with navigation aid systems, and endangering maritime security in an attempt to exit the strait covertly.

The IRGC added that the vessels have now been transferred to Iranian territorial waters for inspection of their cargo and documents.

The developments come amid an indefinite total closure that Iran has imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation to the United States' retaining an illegal blockade of Iran's vessels and ports.

US President Donald Trump recently announced continuation of the blockade, despite a ceasefire.

The Islamic Republic has ruled out either reopening the strait or rejoining talks with Washington as long as the blockade stays in place.

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