More than 100 Greek-owned vessels are currently operating in the broader region of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to Greece’s Ministry of Shipping—a figure slightly reduced from the 184 ships recorded in early March.
At present, 11 Greek-flagged vessels are located within the Persian Gulf itself, with two additional ships just outside its waters. In total, 103 Greek-owned ships remain active across the wider region, even as tensions between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz continue to unfold.
While direct military operations have subsided under a fragile ceasefire, the confrontation has shifted decisively toward maritime navigation and global trade. Ship seizures and retaliatory actions have emerged on both sides, underscoring the fragile security environment.
The phrase “an eye for an eye and a tanker for a tanker,” attributed to Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Security, captures the escalating logic driving the crisis.
Within this context, Iran recently seized two vessels linked to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company in apparent retaliation for the earlier confiscation of an Iranian ship by U.S. authorities.
The container ships Epaminondas and MSC Francesca were targeted while attempting to exit the Persian Gulf, highlighting the growing risks facing commercial shipping in one of the world’s most strategically vital waterways.
