Iranian special forces seize Israel-linked ship
By Matt Murphy
Iran has seized a commercial ship with links to Israel as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday.
The MSC Aries was boarded by Iranian special forces about 50 miles (80km) off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a statement from the vessel’s operator MSC said.
Footage obtained by Reuters news agency appeared to show troops rappelling onto the vessel from a helicopter.
The Portuguese-flagged ship is linked to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.
The incident comes amid heightened expectation of an Iranian attack on Israel after an airstrike destroyed Iran’s consulate in Damascus at the start of April. Israel said on Saturday Iran would bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.
Tracking data last showed the MSC Aries off the coast of the UAE, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz over 18 hours ago. It then appeared to turn off its tracking data, which is common for Israeli-affiliated ships in the region.
The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed the boarding in a statement. It made no mention of Iranian involvement, instead stating that the ship had been seized by “regional authorities” off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE.
