War in the Middle East: Ceasefire in Iran unilaterally extended by Donald Trump, container ship targeted

The President of the United States has decided at the last minute to extend the ceasefire with Iran, at the request of Pakistan. While two container ships were targeted by gunfire on Wednesday, April 22, off the coast of Oman, Tehran continues to threaten its Gulf neighbors.

Last-minute extension. On his Truth social network, Donald Trump announced late on Tuesday, April 21, that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran until further notice. The country’s ports will remain under blockade. These decisions were made by the American president without consulting the Iranian regime.

Thanks and congratulations. The origin of this extension, Pakistan “sincerely thanked” Donald Trump on X. The chief of staff of Pakistan, Marshal Asim Munir, has committed to continue his “ongoing diplomatic efforts […] for a negotiated settlement of the conflict,” as reported by BFM. An “important development” also praised by Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations (UN).

Speaking on France Inter on Wednesday morning, Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces and Veterans Alice Rufo stated that “extending the ceasefire is a good thing,” noting that a “solid agreement” requires “taking time.”

For its part, Tehran warned its Gulf neighbors that their oil production was threatened, as reported by Ouest-France. The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army, displayed a ballistic missile last night in Revolution Square in Tehran in front of a dense crowd of civilians, according to images released by the regime’s propaganda.

The Iranian regime targets two cargo ships. Around 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the Revolutionary Guards Corps “approached” a first container ship flying the Liberian flag, located 28 km northeast of Oman, before “opening fire on the ship.” While “significant damage” is to be deplored, according to the British maritime agency UKMTO, no passengers were injured.

Iran justified itself afterward, claiming to have “applied” maritime law to a container ship that ignored its repeated warnings. However, the intelligence firm Vanguard Tech assures that the ship “had been informed that it had permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz.”

A few hours later, a cargo ship leaving an Iranian port was targeted by gunfire before being immobilized at sea, still according to information from UKMTO. In a statement, the Revolutionary Guards announced that their naval forces had intercepted “two ships in violation” as they “attempted to cross” the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iranian agency Fars, as reported by Ouest-France, the ships involved are the “MSC-Francesca” and the “Epaminondas.” The cargo ships have since been repatriated to the Iranian coast.

Published on April 22 at 2:05 PM, Mina Peltier, 6Médiaras