An Israeli-operated container ship in the Persian Gulf was stormed by Iranian commandos, who took control of the vessel.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, strongly condemned this act, referring to it as a “pirate operation” and called for sanctions to be imposed on Tehran by the West. The MSC Aries, which is Portuguese-flagged and operated by Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was boarded by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy troops while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship was then taken to Iranian territorial waters. Video footage circulating online showed IRGC commandos descending onto the ship’s deck from a helicopter.
It is worth noting that Israeli-linked vessels often disable their tracking data when sailing in the region due to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Israeli shipping interests in the Red Sea.
Iran has previously seized Israeli and Western vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during times of heightened tension, providing legal justifications for these actions. However, in this case, no explanation was given for the seizure.
The incident occurred two weeks after an alleged Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of seven officers from the IRGC’s Quds Force. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by vowing to deliver a “slap in the face” to Israel, and there were warnings from American officials that Tehran might be preparing for a significant drone and missile strike on Israeli soil.
It remains uncertain whether Iran intends to carry out further attacks following the seizure of the MSC Aries.
