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Both the US and Iran are firing on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Are both sides acting lawfully?

The Conversation · · 962 words · By Justin Bergman
Geopolitical Conflict in the Strait of Hormuz International maritime law

The article analyzes recent conflicting reports regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz, detailing incidents involving both Iranian and US actions against vessels. It presents legal arguments regarding the legality of US blockades and the targeting of vessels, concluding that the current situation appears to be a struggle for leverage between the two nations ahead of negotiations.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/both-the-us-and-iran-are-firing-on-commercial-ships-…

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 60% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

18 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 8
check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“Iran said the waterway was open to commercial shipping again, then turned around and said it was closed.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results indicate that Iran made conflicting statements regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz. One source mentions Iran stating it was 'completely open,' while others reference the general uncertainty surrounding the waterway's status following military actions.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 19 March 2026, the United States began an aerial campaign against Iranian targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its closure by Iran in response to the attacks by the United States and Is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_campaign
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Iran then fired at two Indian-flagged ships going through the strait, forcing them to turn around.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results report that Iranian gunboats fired upon Indian-flagged vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
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web search NEUTRAL — Two Indian-flagged vessels were reportedly fired upon by Iranian gunboats while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, triggering heightened maritime security concerns in the region. According to an officia…
https://www.navaltoday.com/2026/04/18/iranian-gunboats-fire-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Two Indian ships, 'Sanmar Herald' and 'Jag Arnav', were fired upon by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions. Despite claims of safe passage, the situation remains dangerous as co…
https://infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/ports-shippi…
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web search NEUTRAL — A day after tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, more details have emerged about the two Indian-flagged vessels that came under fire, prompting a swift diplomatic response from New Delhi ...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-we-know-about…
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“The next day, the US fired on an Iranian cargo vessel, which Tehran called a violation of the two countries’ temporary ceasefire and threatened retaliation.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the US fired on an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, and that Iran characterized this action as a violation of a temporary ceasefire or blockade.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and government sites, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and infli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The first was the statement from US President Donald Trump and the Iranian foreign minister on social media that the Strait of Hormuz remained open.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that both US President Donald Trump and the Iranian foreign minister stated this on social media is supported by one specific web search result. While other sources mention Trump and Iran regarding the Strait's status, this specific joint statement is only detailed in one source.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and government sites, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and infli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. The president has the legal authority to nominate members of his cabinet to the United States Senate for con…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_cabinet_of_Donald_Trump
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The Joint Maritime Information Centre in Bahrain said 18 ships were able to transit through, at least ten through the new Iranian-designated transit route, which is north of the normal transit route.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific details regarding the Joint Maritime Information Centre in Bahrain reporting 18 ships transiting, with at least ten using a new Iranian-designated route north of the normal route, are not independently corroborated by multiple sources. The evidence provided only contains general information about ship traffic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Allied Command Transformation (abbr. ACT; French: Commandement allié Transformation) is a military command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed in 2003 after restructuring. It…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Command_Transformation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an incomplete list of NATO coats of arms and emblems. Today, most NATO entities have their own heraldic or heraldically inspired symbols.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armorial_of_NATO
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) is a NATO establishment headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. It was established at Jåttå on 23 October 2003 as a subordinate command of Headquarters Supreme Allied Comman…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Warfare_Centre
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“However, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy then reportedly attacked a number of civilian merchant vessels.”
CORROBORATED
The general claim that the IRGC attacked civilian merchant vessels is supported by multiple web search results detailing attacks by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known domestically as Sepah or Pasdaran and internationally as Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary force of the Iranian Armed Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Co…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, officially known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air and Space Force (IRGCASF; Persian: نیروی هوافضای سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, roman…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Co…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN; Persian: نیروی دریایی سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, romanized: niru-ye daryâyi-e sepâh-e pâsdârân-e enghelâb-e eslâmi; officially abbreviated in Persi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Co…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“One was an Indian tanker that was on an approved list with the IRGC to travel through the strait.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results mention that the IRGC fired on vessels, and one source specifically notes that the attack occurred against vessels that had received prior clearance, including an Indian tanker.
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web search NEUTRAL — India has summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi in a rare moment of inter-BRICS discord after its tanker was attacked earlier Saturday while trying to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, which has b…
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/dramatic-audio-indian…
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web search NEUTRAL — DUBAI — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on at least two vessels that had received prior IRGC clearance to transit the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, marking a shift from administrative d…
https://houseofsaud.com/irgc-fires-on-cleared-ships-hormuz-a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted. Early on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre s…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/12/five-vessels-attack…
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“Then, on Sunday, the US fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Arabian Sea.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm that the US fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Arabian Sea on Sunday.
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web search NEUTRAL — A U.S. Navy destroyer in the Arabian Sea repeatedly warned an Iranian-flagged cargo ship to stop over a six-hour period on Sunday before firing on the ship's engine room and disabling it, U.S ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/us/us-military-iranian-sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — A U.S. Navy destroyer operating in the Arabian Sea enforced the ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports on Sunday when it fired on a cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/20/us-n…
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web search NEUTRAL — Arabian Sea / Washington - April 19, 2026. U.S. naval forces fired six rounds into the engine room of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel Sunday, after it ignored six hours of repeated warnings and attemp…
https://www.smobserved.com/story/2026/04/20/news/span-classb…
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“US Navy ships are not sitting right off Iran’s ports to stop vessels. Rather, they are positioned further back in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, with a blockade line effectively drawn between the Iranian-Pakistan border to around the Omani-UAE border.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered from the web search or Wikipedia regarding the specific positioning of US Navy ships or the establishment of a blockade line between the Iranian-Pakistan border and the Omani-UAE border.
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“The US Central Command has reported turning away a number of ships – at least 23 as of April 18.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered from the web search or Wikipedia regarding the US Central Command reporting turning away at least 23 ships as of April 18.
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“Many news reports have said the US is blockading the Strait of Hormuz. But it is actually blockading Iranian ports, not the strait.”
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“A blockade of the strait would be illegal because this would affect neutral ports in the Persian Gulf.”
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“Ships in an international strait enjoy unimpeded transit passage, which cannot be hampered or suspended by the coastal state.”
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“The US says it warned the Touska, the Iranian-flagged vessel, to stop over a six-hour period.”
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“This is what the US claims happened – the US Navy destroyer fired on the Touska’s engine room to make it stop.”
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“The US also seized the ship, which is consistent with the law.”
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“By contrast, based on current reporting, the ships fired on by Iran appear to have been neutral merchant vessels transiting an international strait.”
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“On the information publicly available, there is no indication they had become lawful military objectives.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.