Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has said its naval forces intercepted and seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over alleged violations.

In a statement on Wednesday, the IRGC Navy said the vessels, identified as MSC Francesca, which it described as “linked to Israel", and Epaminodes, were stopped for repeated violations, including operating without authorisation and allegedly tampering with navigation systems.

The force said the vessels were attempting to exit the strait “covertly” and were intercepted based on intelligence monitoring.

According to the statement, both vessels have been transferred to Iranian territorial waters for inspection of their cargo and documentation.

Gunfire in Hormuz

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Wednesday that two vessels - a cargo ship and a container - came under gunfire within hours near Iran’s coast in the Strait of Hormuz.

The agency said a vessel was fired upon approximately 8 nautical miles west of Iran’s coast and later stopped, though no damage or casualties were reported.

The agency said the captain of an outbound cargo ship reported that the vessel had “been fired upon” approximately at 0638 GMT.

Earlier in the day, the UKMTO reported that the master of another container ship said the vessel was approached by an IRGC-linked gunboat.

The gunboat did not issue a radio warning before opening fire, causing "heavy damage" to the ship’s bridge.

"No fire or environmental impact was reported. All crew reported safe," it said.

UKMTO said it has received dozens of reports of attacks and suspicious activities affecting vessels in the region since late February.

US seizure

Wednesday’s developments come after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that US naval forces seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman after it reportedly refused to comply with blockade directions.

CENTCOM said on Monday that American forces have directed 27 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the naval blockade of Iranian ports began on April 13.

Tehran vowed to retaliate "soon" against what it describes as "maritime piracy" following the seizure of the Iranian-flagged vessel.

Tensions have remained high since the outbreak of war between Iran, the United States and Israel on February 28.

A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8, and the US and Iran held rare direct talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on April 11-12, but the talks ended without an agreement.

Iran briefly eased restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz before re-imposing control amid continued disputes over maritime security and sanctions enforcement.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely on the insistence of mediator Pakistan, a day before the truce was to expire.