13 Apr 2024 | 01:43 PM UTC
Strait of Hormuz: Iranian forces seize container vessel in Strait of Hormuz April 13 /update 1
Iranian forces seize container vessel in Strait of Hormuz on April 13; disruptions to maritime operations likely.
Armed forces from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces seized a container vessel, MSC Aries, in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on April 13. The incident occurred 50 NM (92 km) northeast of Fujairah, UAE. The IRGC forces boarded the vessel from a helicopter. There have been no reports of violence or casualties associated with the incident. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated the vessel was "seized by regional authorities". Iranian state media confirmed the IRGC was responsible for the incident and that the vessel was being taken to Iranian territorial waters.
Persian Gulf littoral states and their allies are almost certain to increase naval and aerial surveillance in the days ahead.
Exercise caution and reconfirm routes with maritime authorities if transiting or shipping freight through the Persian Gulf in the coming days.
The incident comes at a time of considerably heightened tensions between Israel and Iran amid a recent fatal strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria that was attributed to Israel. The Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries had been chartered by Zodiac Maritime, a subsidiary of the Zodiac Group, which is in turn owned by an Israeli national.
