The car carrier Helios Ray was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on February 25. The cause of the explosion is not clear, while the vessel as well as the crew are safe.
According to Dryad Global the ship was en route to Singapore from Dammam in Saudi Arabia. However, while details regarding the incident remain unclear, it remains possible that the event was the result of asymmetric activity by Iranian military, said Dryad.
Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz also said tha the location of the ship in relative close proximity to Iran raises the belief that Iran was responsible, but it must still be verified. Iran has not commented on the incident.
Tensions have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
Namely, in early January, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew.
