Iranian troops descended from a helicopter to the deck of the Israeli-affiliated ship. President Biden cut short a weekend trip to monitor the situation.
The MSC Aries last reported its location on Friday off Dubai, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had deactivated the tracking system, something common on Israeli- affiliated vessels that navigate the region. The United States, Israel's main backer, has supported the country despite growing concerns over Israel's war in Gaza that has left more than 33,600 Palestinians dead and more than 76,200 injured. The Gulf of Oman is close to the narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf, through which the world's fifth largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia, makes its deliveries to the Middle East. The Middle East awaited possible retaliation from Tehran for the alleged Israeli airstrike that earlier this month hit its consulate in Syria and killed 12 people, including a high-ranking general who once led the Quds expeditionary force. The Islamic Republic has been implicated in a series of ship seizures and maritime attacks attributed to it amid tensions with the West.