tension rises – Time

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an Israel-linked vessel while it was sailing near the Strait of Hormuz. This is the MSC Aries, flying the Portuguese flag, a container ship associated with Zodiac Maritime, part of the group of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Previously, the Ukmto had reported a cargo “seized by the regional authorities” 50 nautical miles, almost 100 km, from Fujairah. Iran then officially confirmed the seizure by the Pasdaran. There are 25 crew members on board the container ship, mostly Asian. «We regret to confirm that the MSC Aries… was boarded by the Iranian authorities via helicopter while crossing the Strait of Hormuz at around 4.43 am Italian time» reads a note from the group, «we are working closely with the competent authorities to ensure the well-being of the crew and the safe return of the vessel.”

Zodiac Maritime, the shipping company headed by the Israeli-born entrepreneur Ofer, was involved in the accident to the MSC Napoli, the container ship which in 2007 in the English Channel was deliberately run aground in Lyme Bay to avoid an environmental disaster. In late 2009 and early 2010, two of its ships (St James Park and MV Asian Glory) were captured by Somali pirates. In November 2023, in the midst of the war between Israel and Hamas, the Central Park, a tanker owned by Zodiac Maritime, was attacked in the Gulf of Aden by suspected Somali pirates. The episode further increases the ongoing crisis between Israel and Iran.