One of the 2 ships seized by Iran is linked to a family of shipping billionaires believed to be related to US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Video broadcast on Iranian state television shows soldiers of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seizing container ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
One of these 2 ships is MSC Francesca, owned by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, founded by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte and currently controlled by his 2 children. This ship, carrying about 40 crew members, was taken by the Iranian Navy to Bandar Abbas port.
Officials said that there were 4 crew members, including the captain, who were Montenegrin people, while the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there were 2 more Croatian citizens on board.
The IRGC Navy declared that both captured ships "operated without the necessary permits".
According to Lloyd's List, the MSC Francesca ship was built in 2008, "usually operating on the route between the West Coast of the United States, Asia and the Middle East Gulf region".
About 20 fully armed Iranians rushed onto the ship. The sailors are currently under Iranian control, movement on the ship is restricted but they are well treated," said a relative of a crew member on the MSC Francesca.
The ship is anchored 9 nautical miles off the coast of Iran. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are underway, our sailors are still stable," Montenegrin Maritime Minister Filip Radulovic told state radio and television RTCG.
Maritime intelligence company Windward AI said that IRGC's move is "tit-for-tat". This development occurred after the US imposed naval blockade on April 13, while Tehran warned it would retaliate when US forces also arrested an Iranian ship.
"IRGC attacked 3 ships. They captured and took away 2 ships - MSC Francesca and Epaminondas - while the Euphoria ship escaped" - Windward AI co-founder Ami Daniel shared.
He added: "This is an act of "tit-for-tat" by the IRGC, which, along with the Houthi, has long believed that MSC is linked to Israel. Mr. Aponte - owner and chairman - has a Jewish wife, and MSC operates in Israel; however, most major shipping lines are also like that.
The son of billionaire Gianluigi Aponte - Diego Aponte - is said to have built relationships with close figures of Mr. Trump, according to Bloomberg on April 13.
He also contributed to arranging a meeting at the White House in November 2025 with Swiss business leaders, leading to a preliminary agreement to reduce the 39% tax rate on Switzerland in the summer.
In the past year, MSC's relationship with the White House also helped Gianluigi Aponte become a key figure in a $19 billion deal with Hong Kong (China) billionaire Li Ka-shing, when MSC and BlackRock proceeded to acquire 2 ports in the Panama Canal, according to this source.
With a net worth of at least $37 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant are said to have connections with many world leaders.
MSC executive chairman and Ms. Rafaela were once photographed with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Rafaela is also said to be related to Alexis Kohler - who served as Secretary-General of the Elysée Palace from May 2017 to April 14, 2025 and is described as "Mr. Macron's second brain".
