Four Montenegrin sailors on a ship that was attacked and seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz today

There are seafarers from Montenegro on the container ship "MSC Francesca", which was attacked and seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz today.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs confirmed to "Vijesti" that the captain and chief engineer of the "MSC Francesca" are Montenegrin citizens. The department headed by Filip Radulović said that everyone in the ministry is engaged in monitoring this situation and collecting as much information as possible.

Other bodies in the Government of Montenegro have been alarmed by what is happening to our sailors in Hormuz, and an official reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the authorities in Tehran is expected.

The Iranian National Guard has stopped the merchant ship "MSC Francesca", which is carrying four Montenegrin sailors, announced Maritime Minister Filip Radulović.

"We have been confirmed from the ship that our seafarers and the rest of the crew are in good health and safe. Negotiations between the shipping company and the Iranian side are ongoing, and the relevant state authorities are in constant contact with the crew. We extend our full support to our seafarers and their families, with the message that we will do everything for a positive outcome of this situation and the safety of our seafarers," said Radulović.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that the ships "Epaminodes" and "MSC Francesca" had been seized. Regarding the MSC ship flying the Panamanian flag and carrying Montenegrin sailors, the Iranians stated in a statement that the "MSC Francesca" was "linked to the Zionist regime" (the authorities in Israel), but did not provide further details on what they were basing their claim on.

News about what happened to the 131.770-ton container ship that today, along with several other merchant ships, attempted to leave the Persian Gulf and sail through Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman is not yet completely reliable.

Western media reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly opened fire on the MSC Francesco from one of its vessels, hitting the container ship of the Italian-Swiss company Mediterranean Shipping.

In this incident, reportedly, fortunately, none of the crew members of the attacked merchant ship were injured.

The ship was seized and ordered to stop near the Iranian coast after the attack, which took place in international waters in Hormuz, about six miles from the border of Iran's territorial waters.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy Command issued a statement confirming that they had seized the MSC Francesca and another merchant ship.

"Two ships that violated the ban on passage through Hormuz and endangered maritime security by sailing through this area without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems were seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy and ordered to proceed towards the Iranian coast," the statement said.