Four Montenegrin seafarers on a ship seized in the Strait of Hormuz

(Patria) - There are also seafarers from Montenegro on the container ship "MSC Francesca", which was attacked and seized by Iranian forces yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs confirmed that the captain and chief engineer of "MSC Francesca" are citizens of Montenegro.

Officials from the ministry, headed by Filip Radulović, stated that everyone in the ministry is engaged in monitoring this situation and gathering as much information as possible.

Other government bodies in Montenegro have also been alerted, and an official reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the authorities in Tehran is expected.

The Iranian National Guard stopped the merchant ship "MSC Francesca", which carries four Montenegrin seafarers, announced the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović.

"We have 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 underway, and relevant state bodies are in constant contact with the crew.

We extend our full support to our seafarers and their families, with a message that we will do everything for a positive outcome of this situation and the safety of our seafarers," Radulović stated.

Iranska nacionalna garda zaustavila je trgovački brod "MSC Francesca“, na kojem se nalaze četiri crnogorska pomorca.
Sa broda nam je potvrđeno da su naši pomorci i ostala posada u dobrom zdravlju i bezbjedni. 🇲🇪
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— Filip Radulovic (@FilipRadulovic_) April 22, 2026

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced yesterday that the ships "Epaminodes" and "MSC Francesca" were seized.

Regarding the MSC company's ship, which flies the flag of Panama and on which Montenegrin seafarers are sailing, the Iranians stated in their announcement that "'MSC Francesca' is connected to the Zionist regime" (authorities in Israel), but did not provide further details on what basis they made such a claim.

News about what happened to the 131,770-ton container ship, which yesterday, along with several other merchant ships, attempted to leave the Persian Gulf and sail through Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman, is not yet fully reliable.

Western media report that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard allegedly opened fire from one of its vessels on "MSC Francesca" and hit the container ship of the Italian-Swiss company Mediterranean Shipping.

Fortunately, no crew members of the attacked merchant ship were injured in this incident.

After the attack, which occurred in international waters in Hormuz, about six miles from Iran's territorial waters, the ship was seized and ordered to stop near the Iranian coast.

The command of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy issued a statement confirming the seizure of "MSC Francesca" and another merchant ship.

"Two ships that violated the transit ban through Hormuz and endangered maritime safety by navigating this area without the necessary permits and by manipulating navigation systems have been seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy and ordered to proceed towards the Iranian coast," the statement said.