New Delhi: The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has seized a Portuguese-flagged container ship ‘MSC Aries’ in the Persian Gulf Saturday with 17 Indian crew members on board.
A source in the Indian government said, “We are aware that a cargo ship, ‘MSC Aries’, has been taken control of by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in New Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals.”
The MSC Aries was on its way from the Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai, India, according to maritime analytics provider Marine Traffic. Iranian media reported that the ship is owned by London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is a part of billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Born in Israel, Ofer is the Monaco-based head of multiple companies.
The fate of reportedly 25 crew members is unknown, other than that the ship is under Iranian custody. The seizure of the ship comes days after Tehran warned that it could close the Straits of Hormuz.
The MSC Aries had turned off its tracking data, which is reportedly common for Israel-affiliated ships moving through the region, the Associated Press reported. The incident comes as the region remains tense after the conflict in Gaza, which started in October 2023, and the recent killing of two senior commanders of the IRGC in Syria.
On 1 April, airstrikes on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus killed Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi and Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahidi, among other officers of the IRGC. Zahidi is reported to have been a senior leader of the IRGC in Lebanon and, according to the US treasury department, played a key role in Tehran’s support to Hezbollah.
Iran blames Israel for the airstrike. Tel Aviv has not claimed responsibility for the attack. The US and Israel however have been preparing for retaliation from Iran since Friday. The US has reported to have moved additional military assets to the region to secure its military personnel.
India Friday urged its citizens to not travel to Israel or Iran due to the rising tensions between the two West Asian nations. Poland, France and Russia are some of the other countries who have put out travel advisories. Germany has urged its citizens to leave Iran.
US president Joe Biden Friday promised to defend Israel and urged the Iranian leadership to not retaliate for the 1 April attacks.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: India-Myanmar-Thailand highway — final piece of the puzzle in New Delhi’s Atlantic to Pacific push