Leavitt explains why Iran’s seizure of two ships doesn’t violate Trump’s ceasefire

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, conducts a press briefing.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“And for the American media, who are sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president’s facts that he has completely obliterated Iran’s conventional navy, these two ships were taken byspeedy gunboats.Iran has gonefrom having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates.They don’t have control over the strait,” she continued.

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“This is piracy that we are seeing on display.And the naval blockade that the United States has imposed continues to be incredibly effective.And, to be clear, the blockade is on ships going to and from Iranian ports.And the point of this is the economic leverage that we maintain over Iran now.While there’s a ceasefire with respect to the military and kinetic strikes, Operation Economic Fury continues, and the crux of that is this naval blockade,” she added.

The Iranian-made Seraj, a high-speed missile-launching assault boat on display in Tehran on Aug.23, 2010.(Yalda Moaiery/AFP via Getty Images)

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without proper authorization and hadtampered with navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently verified.The ships had earlier reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

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The Guard attacked a third ship, identified as the Euphoria, which had become “stranded” on the Iranian coast, Iranian media reported.It did not seize that vessel.

Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026.(Reuters)

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Both the U.S.and Iranian sides have targeted commercial and cargo vessels as part of a broader pressure campaign tied to stalled negotiations.U.S.forces have also moved toseize at least one Iranian-linkedvessel in the region, with each side accusing the other of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire.

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The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for global oil shipments, with roughly 20% of the world’s supply passing through it.Traffic has slowed dramatically asships reroute or avoid thearea amid gunfire, seizures and conflicting directives from both militaries.

� Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

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