U.S. and Iranian forces are both interdicting ships as the two countries grapple with control of the flow of maritime traffic through the region, leaving the shipping industry ‘paralyzed,’ experts say.

In the past week, the U.S. interdicted three ships – two in the Indian Ocean and one in the Strait of Hormuz – while Iran went after three ships, seizing two. There are reports that the third ship was able to continue its journey.

The U.S. and Iran also continue to trade barbs, over social media, about the effectiveness of their efforts to wrestle control of the Strait of Hormuz as the two countries weigh resuming negotiations during the now indefinite ceasefire. For this shipping industry, it means watching, and waiting and more confusion, Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade said during a Thursday webinar.

“As Washington and Tehran trade claims and counterclaims, shipping is left remaining largely unchanged, paralyzed in the [Persian] Gulf,” Meade said. “…The consequences [amplify], the disruption ripples through the global supply chains, and this is where we are.”

The Pentagon announced Thursday that U.S. forces, launching from an expeditionary sea base, interdicted sanctioned vessel MT Majestic X (IMO: 9198317) overnight Wednesday in the Indian Ocean. Majestic X is the second vessel this week that U.S. forces interdicted in the Indo-Pacific region due to their sanctions for Iranian ties.

The U.S. conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of MT Tifani (IMO: 9273337) late Monday, according to a Pentagon post on X. Tifani sails a Botswana flag, while Majestic X sails a false Guyanan flag. The International Maritime Organization considers both ships to be stateless.

On Tuesday, following the Monday interdiction of Tifani, Iran said it fired upon and seized two ships – MV Epaminondas (IMO: 9153862) and MV MSC Francesca (IMO: 9401116). MV Euphoria (IMO: 9235828) was also damaged on Wednesday near Iran, although it is unclear whether Iran also targeted the ship for seizure.

The U.S. has right-to-visit stateless ships under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, although the U.S. has not signed the majority of the document, meaning it is not a party to it.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters Friday that U.S. military and law enforcement forces were part of securing Tifani, arriving via rotary wing platforms. A U.S. Navy control team took over the ship once it was secured.

Securing Majestic X was similar, Caine said.

“Both ships – Tifani [and] Majestic X – and their crews remain in U.S. custody. We will continue to conduct similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific and Indian oceans against Iranian ships and vessels of the dark fleet,” Caine told reporters.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X that her office provided warrants for Majestic X and Tifani.

The Iranians are attempting to match the U.S. seizure for seizure, Chris Newton, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, told USNI News on Thursday. Iran has not yet responded to the U.S. seizure of Majestic X.

This is the first time that Iran has seized a ship in the strait in the current conflict, opting earlier to assert their power by making ships transit through a passageway nicknamed the “Tehran Tollbooth,” Newton said. Now, they have used the fast attack craft to seize ships as the U.S. takes ships in the Indian Ocean.

Men with guns on these small boats can do a lot of damage, Newton said, referring to the effectiveness of the Somalian pirates and some of the Houthi attacks.

Using the fast craft, which have not been seen in the conflict until now, indicates that Iran is escalating to match the U.S. seizures, Emma Salisbury, a senior fellow at Foreign Policy Research Institute, told USNI News on Thursday. The presence on the IGCN fast attack adds another layer of danger for commercial ships, on top of the potential of mines and projectiles.

Because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the sticking points for negotiations, the recent actions by both countries could be an effort to make their positions stronger, Salisbury said.

“Essentially, it all looks to me like each side is trying to bolster its position so that they’re in a strong position when they go into the negotiation side of this,” she said.

The tensions between Iran and the U.S. are likely to continue into next week. Newton told USNI News that he will be watching to see if the U.S. continues to interdict ships with an emphasis on where those interactions take place.

What kind of ship is targeted will also be of interest given the U.S. has now seized two tankers but started with a containership, he said.

According to Salisbury, her eyes will be on how many ships pass through the blockade, adding that it could encourage others to attempt a run.

It is hard to predict what will happen with the strait, Salisbury said. If the U.S. blockade fails, it is possible that the Trump administration will turn back to airstrikes, she said.

Both President Donald Trump and Hegseth have said they will strike the fast attack craft with Hegseth saying Friday they will treat them like the alleged drug boats in U.S. Southern Command.

At the middle of the Strait of Hormuz crisis are seafarers. There are still about 20,000 mariners stranded because of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, Newton said, and there have been approximately a dozen seafarers and port workers killed, Meade said.

“And I think we must keep that front and center when we are having these discussions of ships being seized and [trade] being interrupted,” Meade said. “There is a human cost behind these things as well.”

The 34 ships, oil rigs and tugs that have been damaged are:

• Sanctioned ship Skylight, near Kumzar, Oman
• MT MKD VYOM, near Muscat, Oman
• MT Hercules Star, near Mina Saqr, UAE
• MV Ocean Electra, near Sharjah, UAE
• MT Stena Imperative, in port in Bahrain
• MV Gold Oak, near Fujairah, UAE
• MT Libra Trader, near Fujairah
• MV Pelagia, in the Gulf of Oman
• MV Safeen Prestige, near Oman while transiting the strait
• MT MSC Grace, near Dubai, UAE
• MT Sonangol Namibe, near Mubarak Al Kabeer, Kuwait
• Tug Mussafah 2, assisting Safeen Prestige, near Oman
• Oil rig Arabia III near Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia
• MV GH Kahlo, near Abu Dhabi
• MV Mayuree Naaree, in the strait, north of Oman
• MV ONE Majesty, near Ra’s al Khaymah, UAE
• MV Star Gwyenth, northwest of Dubai
• MT Zefyros, off the coast of Al Basrah, Iraq
• MT Safesea Vishnu, off the coast of Al Basrah
• MV Source Blessing, north of Jebel Ali, UAE
• MT Gas Al Ahmadiah, off the coast of Fujairah
• Offshore tug Halul 50, off the coast of Ras Laffran, UAE
• MV Ocean Pretty, in the Strait of Hormuz
• MV Sunny 77, off of Duqm, Oman
• MV Express Rome, off the coast of Ras Laffan
• MT Al Salmi, off of the coast of UAE
• MT Aqua 1, off the coast of Ras Laffan
• MV Qingdao Star, off the coast of Kish Island
• MT Sanmar Herald, off the coast of Kumzar, Oman
• MV CMA CGM Everglade, off the coast of Kumzar, Oman
• MT Touska, off the coast of Chabahar, Iran
• MV Epaminondas, off the coast of Oman
• MV Euphoria, off the coast of Iran
• MV MSC Francesca, in the Strait of Hormuz

About 20 percent of the world’s oil flows through strait. Brent crude oil price is at $113.25 a barrel as of April 23, according to the Energy Information Administration. The Brent crude oil price was $71.32 on Feb. 27, the day before the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran.