2024-04-14 17:08:13
A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship was seized this Saturday near the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces, said an Iranian news agency associated with the Revolutionary Guard.
Iranian state news agency IRNA acknowledged the assault on a ship near the Strait of Hormuz, after an attack on that same boat was reported, which was suspected to have been carried out by the Revolutionary Guard, an Iranian paramilitary force that carried out similar assaults. in the past.
The American agency Associated Press (AP) had initially stated that the ship involved in the attack should have been the MSC Aries, Portuguese-flagged and associated with the international company Zodiac Maritime, part of the group owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.
Later, the Tasmin news agency, associated with the Revolutionary Guard, confirmed that the robbed ship was the MSC Aries, referring to it as a boat “associated with the Zionist regime”.
The attack comes as part of an escalation of tensions between Iran and the West.
The incident was initially reported by the United Kingdom’s Maritime Commercial Operations Agency (UKTMO), whose source shared video of the same attack with the AP.
According to AP, in the video military personnel can be seen getting out of a helicopter and storming the cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz (between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf).
UKTMO stated that images show that at least three individuals “quickly” took over the cargo ship.
To the AP, the company Zodiac Maritime refused to comment on the situation.
Since 2019, Iran has been accused of being involved in several robberies and attacks on ships in the Gulf of Oman, where around a fifth of all oil traded in the world passes.
Tensions, marked in the last six months by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, recently rose with a bombing on April 1 of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which killed senior Iranian military officials, and which was attributed to Tel Aviv.
Portugal asks Tehran for clarification
The Portuguese Government is monitoring the situation of the ship seized by Iranian military forces in the Strait of Hormuz, guarantees that there are no Portuguese citizens on board and has already asked Tehran for clarification.
In a press release, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that it is a cargo ship, the MSC Aries, flying the Portuguese flag (registered in the Autonomous Region of Madeira), with the company owning Zodiac Maritime Limited, based in London. .
The statement states that monitoring of the situation is being carried out under the direct coordination of the Prime Minister’s office, involving the ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, National Defense and Economy.
“There is no record of Portuguese citizens on board, whether crew or command. The Portuguese Government is in contact with the Iranian authorities, having requested clarifications and requested additional information”, says the Government.
2024-04-14 17:08:13