(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard boarded and seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the latest in a string of confrontations between the two nations.
The Middle East has been on edge for possible Iranian retaliation following an alleged Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including a high-ranking Guard general who formerly commanded its Quds Force.
The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip has further exacerbated decades-long tensions across the region.
Iran’s state-run IRNA reported that the attack was carried out by a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy. The target vessel has been widely identified by Iranian media as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime.
Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. The company declined to comment and referred inquiries to MSC, which has not yet issued a statement.
A Middle East defense official, who requested anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, provided The Associated Press with a video of the attack. The footage shows commandos rappelling onto containers stacked on the deck of the ship.
A crew member can be heard ordering others to stay below deck as additional commandos descend. One commando is positioned above the others, likely providing cover fire.
Details in the video align with known details of the MSC Aries. The helicopter used in the operation appears to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17, a model that has been utilized by both the Guard and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen for amphibious assaults on vessels.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated that the ship was “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman near the Emirati port city of Fujairah, but did not provide further information.
The MSC Aries was last detected off Dubai on Friday, en route to the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had turned off its tracking data, a common practice for Israeli-affiliated ships navigating the region.
Since 2019, Iran has been involved in a series of ship seizures and attacks attributed to ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The Gulf of Oman lies adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway at the entrance to the Persian Gulf through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes. Fujairah, situated on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, serves as a major regional port for ships to load oil, replenish supplies, or exchange crew members.
The waters surrounding Fujairah have been the site of several explosions and hijackings since 2019. The U.S. Navy has accused Iran of using limpet mines to damage tankers in these incidents.
