Greece denied reports that a container ship of Greek interests, sailing under a Liberian flag, had been seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources in the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy said that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) report that claimed the Greek vessel EPAMINONDAS (IMO 9153862) was seized, after coming under fire from a speedboat in the Persian Gulf, was false.

According to the maritime security firm Diaplous, the captain of the container ship EPAMINONDAS (IMO 9153862), sailing under the Liberian flag and managed by shipping giant Maersk, reported that an armed IRGC speedboat approached the vessel without issuing prior communication via radio.

The crew said the vessel then opened fire on the ship.

The attack caused significant damage to the ship’s bridge, according to the same report. Despite the impact, all crew members were confirmed safe, and no injuries were reported.

The vessel had departed from Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates and was en route to Mundra in India at the time of the incident.

The statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) read: “Two violating vessels, the ‘MSC Francesca’ (linked to the Zionist regime) and the ‘Epaminondas’, which endangered maritime safety by operating without the required permits and by manipulating navigation systems, were seized by the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guards and escorted to Iranian shores. Disrupting order and security in the Strait of Hormuz is a red line for us.”