Iran Seizes Commercial Ship After Warning Shots in Persian Gulf

On Tuesday, April 27, news agencies reported that the Iranian Navy fired warning shots at a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf and subsequently seized it. The ship, named 'Maersk Tigris', reportedly has 34 crew members according to the Saudi-aligned television network 'Al Arabiya'. This network, which first reported the seizure, initially claimed the ship was American, but further reports clarified that 'Maersk Tigris' belongs to the Danish company Maersk and was sailing under the Marshall Islands flag. The ship was surrounded by several Iranian vessels while passing through the Strait of Hormuz en route to the port of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates and was ordered to stop. After the captain of 'Maersk Tigris' refused the order, warning shots were fired, and the ship was directed towards Bandar Abbas. According to the Associated Press, a Pentagon spokesperson stated that the captain initially disobeyed the Iranian order to move further into Iranian waters but complied after warning shots were fired. Colonel Steve Warren added that the cargo ship sent an emergency message, prompting the U.S. Navy command center in the Persian Gulf to dispatch an American destroyer and a fighter jet to monitor the situation. He noted that 'Maersk Tigris' was passing through the Strait of Hormuz and that there were no American citizens on board, and no one was injured. The Marshall Islands are militarily dependent on the United States for defense, social services, and subsidies. Meanwhile, the Fars news agency cited an 'informed source' stating that the reason for the ship's seizure was a dispute with the Iranian Ports Authority. This 'informed source' added that the Iranian Ports Authority would approach the court, which would issue a seizure order for the ship, leading to its detention. The Tasnim news agency also reported that the seizure was a 'commercial matter, not political or military'. Hadi Haqshenas, the Deputy for Maritime Affairs of the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization, told this news agency that the seized ship belonged to the Maersk shipping line and was detained due to debts with a court order, directing it towards the anchorage of Shahid Bahonar Port. He stated that typically, cargo owners or ports or stakeholders pursue their claims through competent authorities when the shipping line has debts and fails to pay them. Mr. Haqshenas mentioned that this ship was seized for the same reason and is currently being directed to the anchorage of Shahid Bahonar Port. Reuters reported that officials from Maersk declined to comment on the incident.