The container ship MSC Aries was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13 for “violating maritime laws,” according to Iran’s foreign ministry, Reuters reports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards took control of the container ship days after a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus. Iran said the ship’s connection to Israel was clear. According to Reuters, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded the MSC Aries and taken it into Iranian waters.
MSC, the operator of the Aries, confirmed the seizure and is working with authorities for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew. The ship is leased by MSC from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
In response to the seizure, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of piracy. The International Transport Workers’ Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping condemned the seizure as a “flagrant breach of international law” and an “assault on freedom of navigation.”