Why Trump’s Iran ceasefire is looking more shaky than ever

WorldPolitics
22 Apr 2026 • 9:05 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why Trump’s Iran ceasefire is looking more shaky than ever

  • Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they have seized two vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, for alleged maritime violations.
  • The Guards stated the ships were detained for "operating without the required authorisation and for manipulating navigation systems" and have been taken to Iranian ports.
  • The MSC Francesca, a Panama-flagged container ship, was reportedly sailing from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Sri Lanka when it was seized near the Iranian coast.
  • This incident occurs amidst a fragile ceasefire, extended by Donald Trump, which appears to be under strain, following an earlier report of three container ships being hit by Iranian gunfire.
  • Donald Trump had extended the two-week ceasefire and ordered the US military to blockade Iranian ports until Tehran’s leaders present a "unified proposal".

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