Iran seizes container ship ‘linked’ to Israel near Strait of Hormuz with 25 people on board

“We regret to confirm that the MSC Aries, owned by Gortal Shipping Inc, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, and chartered by MSC, was picked up by Iranian authorities by helicopter,” with “25 crew members on board,” Mediterranean Shipping said. . This was announced by the company (MSC) headquartered in Geneva this Saturday.

According to the Iranian state press agency, the Portuguese-flagged container ship is operated by Zodiac, a company owned by Israeli businessman “Zionist capitalist Eyal Ofer.” He was captured by Iranian “naval special forces” in a “helicopter operation near the Strait of Hormuz.”

In turn, the international ship management company Zodiac Maritime reports that “ownership of the seized container ship belongs to Gortal Shipping Inc., affiliated with Zodiac as a financier.” And we continue: “It is leased to MSC,” and this is for the “long term.” Thus, recalls Zodiac Maritime, “MSC is the manager and commercial operator of the vessel.” As such, MSC is “responsible for all of its activities,” “including its freight and maintenance operations.”

Israel strikes back

The 2020-built, 366-meter-long MSC Aries left Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, bound for India, according to Vessel Finder.

But Tehran said the ship would be transferred to its territorial waters.

British security firm Ambrey said it “observed still images of at least three people quickly jumping from a helicopter onto what appears to be a container ship,” adding that the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army, “have already used this landing method.”

Videos on networks that have not yet been authenticated may show this collision.

The Israeli army responded immediately through its spokesman Daniel Hagari: Iran “will suffer the consequences of its choices, which will lead to a further escalation of the situation,” he warned.

“We have stepped up our preparations to defend Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also ready to respond,” the IDF spokesman added in a statement. “The regime of Ayatollah Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports the crimes of Hamas and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” said Israel Katz, Israel’s Foreign Minister.

“I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization and immediately impose sanctions on Iran,” he added.