Iran escalates Hormuz 'tit-for-tat,' seizes ship tied to billionaire close to Trump, Macron

close Video Iran seizes two commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz, attacks third Daniel Flesch, a former Israeli Defense Forces soldier and U.N. mission senior advisor, analyzes Iran's seizure of two commercial ships and attack on a third in the Strait of Hormuz. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 4 Min Tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz April 22 after Iran’s IRGC seized two vessels in what analysts describe as "tit-for-tat" retaliation against the U.S. And one ship is linked to a billionaire shipping family tied to Presidents Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron. Video aired on Iranian state TV purportedly shows IRGC soldiers seizing the container ships in the Strait, Reuters said Thursday. One vessel, the MSC Francesca, is owned by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, which was founded by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte and is now controlled by his two children, Fox News Digital has learned. "Some 20 Iranians armed to the teeth stormed the ship. Sailors are under Iranian control, their movements on the ship are limited but the Iranians are treating them well," a relative of one of the MSC Francesca seafarers told Reuters. TRUMP'S SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF AND KUSHNER VISIT US AIRCRAFT CARRIER AMID Iran TENSIONS, TALKS Soldiers take part in the seizure of the container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz, according to footage broadcast on Iranian state TV and released April 22, 2026. (IRIB/Handout/Reuters) "The ship is anchored 9 nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing, our sailors are fine," Montenegro's minister of maritime affairs, Filip Radulovic, told state broadcaster RTCG. Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI pointed to IRGC "tit-for-tat" tactics given the recent MSC vessel seizure. This followed a U.S. naval blockade imposed on April 13, with Tehran warning of retaliation after U.S. forces also seized an Iranian vessel. "The IRGC attacked three ships. It also captured and took in two of them — the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas — while the Euphoria managed to get away," Windward AI co-founder Ami Daniel told Fox News Digital. Iran FIRES LIVE MISSILES INTO Strait of Hormuz AS TRUMP ENVOYS ARRIVE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS Soldiers take part in the operation seizing the container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state TV April 22, 2026. (IRIB/Handout/Reuters) "This is a ‘tit-for-tat’ exercise by the IRGC, which, along with the Houthis, has long claimed MSC is connected to Israel. MSC calls in Israel; however, so do all major liners." Diego Aponte, Gianluigi’s son, had been making "inroads with Trump’s circle," Bloomberg reported April 13. He also helped arrange a November 2025 White House meeting with Swiss business leaders that led to a preliminary deal to reduce the 39% tariffs imposed on Switzerland over the summer. BLOCKADE 101: AMERICAN SEA POWER ON DISPLAY AS TRUMP CORNERS Iran AND WARNS OFF CHINA The MSC executive chairman has been photographed with French President Emmanuel Macron. (Reuters/Stephane Mahe) Over the last year, MSC’s relationship with the White House also positioned father Gianluigi Aponte as a key player in a $19 billion deal with Li Ka-shing, as MSC and BlackRock moved to acquire two Panama Canal ports under pressure from Trump to place them in "friendly" hands, according to the outlet. With a net worth of at least $37 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, it is Gianluigi Aponte and his wife, Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, who appear to mingle with world leaders. The MSC executive chairman and Rafaela have been photographed with French President Emmanuel Macron. GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR Iran; US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: 'HEIGHTENED RISK' The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca vessel docked in Long Beach, Calif., April 16, 2025. (Efrain Morales/Reuters) Rafaela is also reportedly related to Alexis Kohler (his mother is said to be her cousin), who served as Macron’s secretary-general from May 2017 to April 14, 2025, and was described as "Macron’s second brain." The Aponte family’s vessel, carrying about 40 crew members, was taken toward Iran’s port of Bandar Abbas by the Iranian navy, sources told Reuters Thursday. Four crew members, including the captain, are from Montenegro, officials said, while Croatia’s foreign ministry confirmed two Croatian nationals are also aboard. The IRGC Navy claimed both vessels captured "were operating without the necessary permits." According to Lloyd’s List, the 2008-built MSC Francesca "normally operates in service between the U.S. West Coast, Asia and the Middle East Gulf." Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world." By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!