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Iran: Seized Israel-linked ship broke maritime law
“The ship was directed into the territorial waters of Iran because it violated international maritime laws,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.
The ship’s crew failed to “adequately respond to questions from Iranian authorities,” he told a briefing.
“It is certain that this ship belongs to the Zionist regime,” Kanaani added, referring to Israel.
On Saturday, the special naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the Israel-linked MSC Aries container ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship was impounded by the Sepah Navy Special Force (SNSF) in a heliborne operation and rappelling of forces on the ship’s deck, the agency said Saturday.
“The ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters of our country,” IRNA said.
The Portuguese-flagged ship, operated by Zodiac Maritime, is owned by Israeli real estate, energy, technology and shipping magnate Eyal Ofer, it added. Zodiac Maritime is part of the Israeli billionaire’s Zodiac Group.
A video released by IRGC shows SNSF commandos rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel.
Reports said the MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The ship had reportedly turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region.