Iranian Guards seize ‘Israeli’ cargo ship leased by MSC off Fujairah coast

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, 92 km northeast of Fujairah, on Saturday, days after Tehran said it could close the crucial shipping route and warned it would retaliate for an Israeli strike on its Syria consulate, reported Reuters, citing Iranian media.

MSC, which operates the Aries, confirmed Iran had seized the ship and said it was working “with the relevant authorities” for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew.

MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac said in a statement, adding that MSC is responsible for all the vessel’s activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency has reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded and taken into Iranian waters the Portuguese flagged MSC Aries, saying it was linked to Israel.

Video on Iranian news channels purporting to show the seizure included a figure abseiling from a helicopter on to a ship. Reuters was able to verify that the ship in the video was the MSC Aries but not the date it was recorded.

The incident comes amid rising regional tensions since the start of Israel’s campaign in Gaza in October, with Israel or its ally the US clashing repeatedly with Iranian-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. 

Iran has threatened to retaliate for suspected Israeli airstrikes on its consulate in Syria’s capital Damascus on 1 April that killed seven Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders.

Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “Iran will bear consequences for choosing to escalate this situation any further,” in response to reports of the seizure of MSC Aries.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had accused Tehran of piracy.