The ceasefire lasted about as long as the announcement.
On April 21, Trump extended the US-Iran ceasefire indefinitely — at Pakistan’s request, pending a “unified proposal” from Tehran. By April 22 morning, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had fired on three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, seized two of them, and transferred both to the Iranian coast. The White House said the president didn’t view the seizures as a ceasefire violation.
The Hormuz Side
The seized ships — MSC Francesca and Epaminodes — are the first vessels Iran has captured since the war began on February 28. The IRGC said they were “operating without authorization and manipulating navigation systems.” A third container ship took heavy damage from an IRGC gunboat 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, its crew unharmed.
This follows Iran firing on two Indian-flagged tankers on April 18 — an attack that prompted India to summon Tehran’s ambassador. The Strait normally handles 20% of global oil and LNG. It’s been largely blocked since February.
But Hormuz was the known front. The new one is closer to home.
The Indian Ocean Side
Reuters revealed on April 22 that the US military intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters: the supertanker Deep Sea off Malaysia, the Sevin (1 million barrel capacity, 65% loaded) also near Malaysia, and the supertanker Dorena — fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude — last seen off southern India. CENTCOM confirmed Dorena is under escort by a US Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean.
A possible fourth tanker, the Derya, failed to offload its Iranian oil in India before Washington’s waiver expired on April 19. The US has now directed 29 vessels to turn around or return to port since the blockade began.
This is the first time the conflict has spilled beyond the Persian Gulf into the broader Indo-Pacific.
What It Means for India
India is squeezed from both directions. Iran is firing on Indian ships in Hormuz — India’s main oil artery. The US is intercepting tankers off India’s own coast. Brent crude briefly topped $100 a barrel on April 22. The rupee fell for a third straight session.
The ceasefire extended, the blockade stayed, and both sides expanded the battlefield. For India, the war didn’t come closer — it arrived.