Four Romanians on board ship seized by Iran, Foreign Ministry says Four Romanians are on board the MSC Francesca, a ship seized more than a week ago by the Iranian authorities, according to a statement given by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 30. Around April 22–23, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy detained two ships for what it described as violations of maritime law and escorted them to Iranian shores. The IRGC accused the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas of operating without required permits and tampering with their navigation systems. MSC Francesca was hit by gunfire about eight nautical miles west of Iran as it was being seized, but it was not damaged, and its crew was safe, according to Reuters .