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A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. [Shadi J. H. Alassar – Anadolu Agency]
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy detained two commercial cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, citing unauthorized operations and alleged ties to Israel, according to a report Friday.
The IRGC identified the vessels as the “MSC-Francesca” and the “Epaminondas,” both operating under the MSC shipping line, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
Tehran accused the ships of breaching maritime regulations, interfering with navigation systems, and endangering other vessels in the waterway.
The report said Iranian authorities said the ships were allegedly attempting to pass through the strait undetected before being intercepted and escorted into Iranian territorial waters.
Since the war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran began Feb. 28, Tehran has maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by an American naval blockade on April 13, hitting global energy supplies, mostly across Asia.
Nigel Farage objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
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Missiles launched by Iran in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks are seen over the skies of Jerusalem, on March 24, 2026. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]
A Defense Ministry’s spokesperson said most of Iran’s missile capabilities have been “unused” on the war with the US, Tasnim News reported Saturday.
Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik said Iran’s “significant portion of the missile capabilities remains unused,” according to the report by the semi-official news agency.
Arguing that Iranian forces maintained the upper hand throughout the conflict, he said, “Our forces maintained complete air superiority over the occupied territories of the Zionist (Israeli) territory, and a portion of our missile capabilities were utilized during the 40-day war.”
Regarding naval confrontations, he claimed that hostile warships repeatedly retreated hundreds of kilometers from the Sea of Oman in response to decisive actions by Iranian forces.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US and Israel initiated a war against Iran beginning Feb. 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage.
Nigel Farage objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Fatih Varol, attorney and Member of the Board of Directors of the Global Sumud Flotilla, is seen during an exclusive interview, where she evaluates the preparations of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s “2026 Spring Mission”, in Sicily, Italy, on April 24, 2026. [Barış Seçkin – Anadolu Agency]
Turkish activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla’s Spring 2026 Mission have reaffirmed their determination to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian assistance, Anadolu reports.
Fatih Varol, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla, told Anadolu that the Turkish delegation is among the initiative’s most significant components.
“Turkiye has deep-rooted historical ties with Palestine. As a people, we feel the tragedy unfolding in Gaza much more profoundly. In this regard, both public support in Turkiye and the backing of Turkish civil society organizations are very strong,” he said.
Varol said the Turkish delegation has contributed not only to the fleet’s administration and coordination, but also to vessel preparations at Mediterranean ports through financial support.
He also noted that more than 10 lawmakers from both governing and opposition parties in Turkiye attended the Global Sumud Parliamentarians Congress in Brussels on April 22, forming the diplomatic arm of the mission.
According to Varol, lawmakers from around the world agreed during the meeting to raise calls in their respective parliaments to end the genocide in Gaza, lift the blockade on Palestine, ensure Israel complies with international law, and activate international criminal justice mechanisms.
He said the initiative would help increase international political pressure on Israel and grow through coordinated efforts aimed at paving the way for a freer world.
Gorkem Duru, another Turkish activist, said participants are preparing to sail toward Gaza as part of the 2026 mission, stressing that a “fake ceasefire” has not ended occupation, blockade, or violence.
“Last year, the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail. This year, despite the ceasefire, the blockade and occupation continue, so we are setting out again, stronger and more numerous, to break the blockade,” he said.
Duru added that final preparations are underway at Italy’s Augusta Port, while vessels departing from Barcelona have already arrived.
Activist Omer Aslan, known as the “Local John Wick” due to his resemblance to the character portrayed by Keanu Reeves, said he joined the mission out of humanitarian responsibility.
“While innocent babies and civilians in Gaza suffer oppression and violence, I could not live comfortably in my own country. I joined this peaceful humanitarian action to raise awareness both among my followers and globally,” he said.
Aslan said activists from across the world have joined the flotilla regardless of language, religion, or nationality, united by a common cause.
Flotilla’s Spring 2026 Mission
The Global Sumud Flotilla was created to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, and draw international attention to the situation in the enclave.
Created in 2025 by NGO representatives, activists and volunteers from various countries, the flotilla launched its second mission to Gaza.
Its Spring 2026 Mission departed from Barcelona on April 12 with around 70 vessels and nearly 1,000 participants from 70 countries, significantly larger than a previous mission in September 2025, which included 42 boats and 462 participants.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Nigel Farage objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
