On Saturday, it was confirmed that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rappelled onto an Israeli-linked container ship from a helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the ship.
Tasnim News Agency, an Iranian news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that members of the Revolutionary Guards seized the cargo ship around noon local time on Saturday. report.
“According to sources, the vessel is a Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by London-based Zodiac Maritime,” Tasnim news agency said. “Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.”
Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC. Associated Press I held out my hand. MSC did not immediately respond.
A Middle Eastern defense official shared video of the attack with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that shows special forces rappelling from a helicopter and landing on a pile of containers on the ship.
As more members of the Revolutionary Guards come on deck, a crew member can be heard saying, “Don’t come out,” and telling his colleagues to go to the bridge.
The details match what is known about the MSC Aries, according to the Associated Press. The helicopter appears to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which the Revolutionary Guards have previously used to attack ships.
British maritime trade business report British military officials said they were investigating the recent incident. The agency is urging ships navigating the area to “navigate with caution and report any suspicious activity.”
MSC Aries was last seen in Dubai on Friday, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had turned off her location data, which is not unusual for Israeli vessels in the region, the Associated Press noted.
The incident occurred as Israel prepares for an attack from Iran. Western intelligence agencies have assessed that Israel is preparing for a large-scale attack from Iran in response to the April 1 attack on the Syrian embassy. The attack, believed to be carried out by Israel, killed seven Iranian military advisers, including three senior members of the Revolutionary Guards.
U.S. officials have warned this week that large-scale retaliatory attacks are possible. Tensions are rising as Americans are told to avoid travel, the U.S. military is relocated to new bases in the Middle East, and fears of a larger regional war persist.
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