Iranian Revolutionary Guards have seized a merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman. The freighter belongs to the Israeli billionaire Ofer and sails under the Portuguese flag. Apparently soldiers rappelled onto the “MSC Aries”.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have seized a merchant ship “with connections” to Israel in the Gulf of Oman, according to reports from Iranian state media. The container ship “MSC Aries” was seized by special units of the Revolutionary Guards in a helicopter operation and is being diverted towards Iran, reported the state news agency Irna. Video footage obtained by the AP news agency showed soldiers rappelling down from a helicopter and boarding the ship.
Shipping company owned by Israeli billionaire
The ship sails under the Portuguese flag for a company owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. According to the business magazine Forbes, he is one of the 100 richest men in the world. He is co-owner of the shipping company Zodiac Maritime, for which the “MSC Aries” sails. The British maritime security company Ambrey had previously reported on the case.
The British Merchant Shipping Authority UKMTO also said a freighter had been seized near the Strait of Homus between the United Arab Emirates and Iran:
Fear of further escalation in the Middle East
Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened Israel on Wednesday with retaliation for an attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which 16 people were killed in early April. Among the dead were two generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and five other members of the elite force.
As tensions escalate, the US government expects an Iranian attempt to attack Israel soon. He assumes “that it will be sooner rather than later,” said US President Joe Biden on Friday. In view of the feared further escalation in the Middle East region, the Foreign Office in Berlin reiterated its call for Germans to leave Iran.