Why Did Iran Seize a Ship in the Strait of Hormuz?

by December 2025

On November 14, a deceptive calm was shattered in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards intercepted a commercial vessel, seized its fuel… before releasing everything five days later. It was the first incident of its kind since July 2024. Why now?
An in-depth analysis of this situation is provided by Admiral James Foggo and Matt Reisener of the Center for Maritime Strategy for the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune.

James Foggo
Admiral James G. Foggo, US Navy (ret.) is the Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy and a member of the board of directors of the JST. He is the former commander of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and Allied Joint Force Command, Naples. He commanded NATO joint exercises (Baltic Operations) in 2015 and 2016 as well as Exercise Trident Juncture in 2018.
Matt Reisener
Matt Reisener is the Senior National Security Advisor for the Center for Maritime Strategy. He previously served at the National Democratic Institute and the Center for the National Interest.