By John Gambrell—
AP
Members of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter to the deck of an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and took control of the ship, in the latest in a series of attacks between the two. countries.
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.
US President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation in the Middle East, where Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has fueled tensions that have lasted for a decade. With Iranian-backed forces such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthi rebels also involved in the fighting, any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a broader regional war.
Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began more than six months ago, has also stoked longstanding tensions in the region.
Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that a Guard Navy special forces unit carried out the attack on the merchant ship, which the country's press identified as the MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged container ship associated with the Zodiac Maritime company, based in London.
The shipping company is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to Geneva-based MSC. “We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being and the safe return of the ship,” MSC said.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the crew was made up of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian and Estonian nationals and urged Iran to release them as well as the ship.
IRNA reported that the Revolutionary Guard would take the ship to Iranian territorial waters.
Earlier Saturday, a defense official from the region, who asked to speak on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared a video of the boarding with The Associated Press. In the images, the troops descend from the helicopter to the containers located on the deck.
Additionally, a crew member is heard saying “Don't come out.” He then asks his companions to go to the bridge of the ship while more agents continue to arrive on the deck. One of them kneels above the others to provide possible covering fire.
The video corresponded to the known details of the MSC Aries. The helicopter used appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17, used by both the Revolutionary Guard and Yemen's Houthi rebels — who are backed by Tehran — in their raids on ships in the past.
The UK military's Maritime Trade Operations agency said the vessel was being "seized by regional authorities" in the Gulf of Oman, off the port city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, but offered no further information. details.
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 war began after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told Israel's defense minister that he could count on American support to defend against Iran's attacks, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said.
Since 2019, the Islamic Republic has been implicated in a series of ship seizures and maritime attacks have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over the rapid advancement of its nuclear program.
The Gulf of Oman is close to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes. Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the Emirates, is one of the region's main ports for ships to receive new shipments of crude oil, pick up supplies or change crew.
Since 2019, the waters near Fujairah have seen several explosions and kidnappings. The US Navy blames Iran for carrying out limpet mine attacks that damage oil tankers.