Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attacks a third ship in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies report

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacks a third ship in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies report.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. is indefinitely extending its ceasefire with Iran - a day before it was to expire - as a new round of peace talks in Pakistan was on hold. Iran acknowledged the ceasefire extension but didn't say Tehran was ready to attend the new round of talks, state TV said Wednesday.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, throwing efforts to end the war further into question. The Guard seized two of the ships and was bringing them to Iran, according to Iranian media. Earlier, Trump said the U.S. would continue to blockade Iranian ports, setting the stage for continued disruption to traffic in the critical waterway.

U.S. forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as it puts into place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran. The tanker is the second vessel linked to Iran that has been interdicted by the U.S. military. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday called the U.S. blockade a breach of the ceasefire.

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to authorities. In Lebanon, the fighting has killed more than 2,290 people. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, on Wednesday condemned attacks on shipping after Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, seizing two and taking them to Iran. Earlier, Trump said the United States would continue to blockade Iranian ports.

"The attacks on and seizures of commercial ships are unacceptable," Dominguez said, urging an immediate halt and the release of vessels and crews. He warned that the situation remains "extremely volatile" and questioned why companies risk seafarers' lives.

Nearly 20,000 seafarers remain at sea after seven weeks, uncertain when they can return home, he added.

An analytics firm focusing on global energy and freight markets says it recorded 34 movements of sanctioned and Iranian-linked tankers in and out of the Persian Gulf in the week after the U.S. imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The firm, Vortexa, says it identified 19 outbound and 15 inbound movements of such vessels between April 13 and Monday.

Six of those outbound movements were "confirmed laden with Iranian crude, representing about 10.7 million barrels," it said in an email to The Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear whether all those barrels reached markets overseas.

The management company of a container ship that was fired upon in the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday says the Liberian-registered Epaminondas was "approached and fired upon by a manned gunboat" while transiting the strait about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.

The Technomar company said all crew were "safe and accounted for" and no injuries were reported, but that preliminary inspections indicated the ship's bridge had been damaged.

"Technomar remains in close contact with the crew and relevant authorities. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our crew as we work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure their continued safety and investigate the incident," the company said. It did not provide further details, but said more information would be released "when there are material developments."