PODCAST:
April 22, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson spoke with Rocky Raczkowski, a retired U.S. Army Reserves Lieutenant Colonel. They discussed the extended ceasefire and divisions within Iranian leadership regarding peace talks amidst threats of war.
IRAN ~ The Strait of Hormuz remains a hotbed of conflict amid the U.S.-Iran War, with the latter attacking three ships and seizing two of them on Wednesday.
Iran confirmed it seized the Liberian-flagged Epaminondas and the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca for “disrupting the order and safety of the Strait of Hormuz,” traveling through the strait without authorization, and manipulating its navigation systems. These ships, along with the Greek-owned Euphoria, reportedly came under fire while traveling through the waterway.
This comes a day after President Donald Trump indefinitely prolonged a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, a day before it was set to expire, while continuing its blockade in the Strait against Iranian ports. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the blockade was”an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran announced it was reclosing the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, a major oil shipping lane, in response to the blockade.
