Gulf of Oman: Iran announces the confiscation of a cargo ship that violates the rules

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified the detention of a container ship allegedly linked to Israel, by saying that the ship violated shipping rules. the MSC Aries The official IRNA news agency quoted ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as saying that the authorities were arrested on charges of violating international rules and not responding “appropriately” to the Iranian authorities.

On Saturday he had Iran A few hours before the missile and drone attack on Israel MSC Aries It was seized in the Gulf of Oman and transferred to Iranian waters. The ship, which was flying the Portuguese flag, was controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy. Previously it was located MSC Aries On the flight from the United Arab Emirates to India.

The ship belongs to the London company Zodiac Maritime. The only known connection so far MSC Aries As for Israel, Zodiac Maritime belongs to the group of companies owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Back in August 2021, the Zodiac Maritime was the target of a drone attack in which two people were killed. the According to American information, drones are manufactured in Iran.

Container ship near the detained tanker

According to the ship tracking service Tanker Tracker, the cargo ship is now in Iranian waters between the islands of Qeshm and Hormuz. TankerTracker also announced on the X platformwill MSC Aries It was detained not far from three tankers that Iran also seized last year.

The Strait of Hormuz is 55 kilometers wide between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf Sultanate of Oman It is one of the most important shipping routes for international oil trade. The United States regularly accuses the Iranian Navy of obstructing civilian shipping in the waterway and the Gulf of Oman. Israel also criticized this preparation MSC Aries.