伊朗在4月22日于霍尔木兹海峡扣押了MSC Francesca号商船，船上约24名来自蒙特内哥罗、印度尼西亚、菲律宾等国的船员至今已被困4个月之久 [1]。这艘船停泊在伊朗海岸外6公里处，船员"除了每几天30分钟的互联网外，没有其他交流手段" [1]。伊朗还扣押了同属MSC船队的Epaminondas号集装箱船，目前已有两名克罗地亚籍船员从Francesca号获释 [1]。
自伊朗战争开始以来，波斯湾冲突导致约6000名船员被困中东，在日常维护、瞭望和检查货物的过程中面临极大风险 [1]。2月28日美国和以色列对伊朗的攻击后，伊朗关闭霍尔木兹海峡，曾导致约1500艘船和近20000名船员受困 [1]。海峡日通过船只数量从战前平均130艘锐减至约12艘 [1]。自伊朗战争开始以来，17名船员在霍尔木兹海峡周围的63次袭击中丧生 [1]。MSC是日内瓦总部的全球最大集装箱船公司，拥有1000多艘集装箱船 [1]。
Iran seized the MSC Francesca commercial vessel on April 22, 2024, in the Strait of Hormuz, with approximately 24 crew members from Montenegro, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other nations remaining detained roughly six kilometers off the Iranian coast [1]. According to crew accounts, the detained seafarers have access to internet communication only for approximately 30 minutes every few days [1].
The detention represents part of a broader maritime crisis in the region. Since Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, approximately 6,000 sailors remain trapped in the Middle East as a result of Persian Gulf tensions [1]. Daily vessel traffic through the strait has declined from an average of 130 ships before the conflict to approximately 12 vessels [1]. Iran has also seized the Epaminondas, a second MSC fleet container ship [1], though two Croatian crew members have been released from the Francesca [1].
The situation has taken a deadly toll, with 17 sailors killed in 63 attacks around the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran conflict began [1]. MSC, the Geneva-headquartered operator of over 1,000 container vessels, has become a focal point in the maritime disruption [1].