India, April 23 -- Iran on Wednesday seized two commercial vessels in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, including one bound for Gujarat, in a sharp escalation of tensions linked to the ongoing confrontation between Donald Trump and Tehran.

The vessels - identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminondas - were reportedly taken into custody by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iranian state television confirmed that both ships were being escorted to Iranian waters.

According to marine traffic data, Epaminondas, a Liberian-flagged container ship, was en route to Mundra Port in Gujarat's Kachch district when it was intercepted. Its navigational status was subsequently listed as "stopped," raising concerns over the...