According to reports from Great Britain, a merchant ship has been detained in the Gulf of Oman. The incident occurred about 50 nautical miles northeast of the port city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy had seized a ship. The ship has a connection to Israel and is in the Persian Gulf region. The Iranian state news agency Irna also reported the container ship MCS Aries was confiscated in a helicopter operation by special units of the Revolutionary Guards and is being diverted towards Iran.
More on the topic: Iran’s conflict with Israel
Middle East conflict: How Israel risks war with Iran
Middle East: How justified is the fear of Iran’s revenge?
In a photo distributed by the agency, a commando soldier can be seen abseiling from a military helicopter onto the deck of the ship, reports the dpa news agency. Further information was initially not known.
According to information from the Israeli army broadcaster, the container ship is flying the Portuguese flag, but the owner is said to be Israeli. According to the ship tracking service Vessel Finder, the ship, which was 366 meters long, was traveling from the United Arab Emirates to India. The last position is said to have been received on Friday afternoon when the ship was sailing off Dubai.
Conflicts in the region threaten to escalate
The Strait of Hormuz is an approximately 55 kilometer wide strait between Iran and Oman, and is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports. The US regularly accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent Gulf of Oman.
Military tensions are currently high in the region. After the suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria, in which two brigadier generals were killed, the government in Tehran has threatened Israel with retaliation. A further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East cannot be ruled out.
According to reports from Great Britain, a merchant ship has been detained in the Gulf of Oman. The incident occurred about 50 nautical miles northeast of the port city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy had seized a ship. The ship has a connection to Israel and is in the Persian Gulf region. The Iranian state news agency Irna also reported the container ship MCS Aries was confiscated in a helicopter operation by special units of the Revolutionary Guards and is being diverted towards Iran.