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Middle East
This image made from a video provided to The Associated Press by a Mideast defense official shows a helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A ship owned by a “Zionist tycoon” was seized near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli army’s radio said the ship is “partially-owned by Israel.”
Video shared by The Associated Press showed a helicopter raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The agency reported that the vessel is probably the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked with the Zodiac Maritime, a london-based international shipping operator.
Iranian state media IRNA said the ship was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) and is being brought into Iranian territorial waters. It named the owner of the ship as “Zionist tycoon” Eyal Ofer, an Israeli billionaire and chairman of Zodiac Maritime.
The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news also reported the seizure of a “Zionist ship.”
“Apparently this is a partially Israeli-owned ship,” Galatz, a radio station operated by Israel’s armed forces, said in a post on X.
The seizure of the ship comes against the backdrop of mounting pressure on Tehran from the Iranian public to retaliate for a recent airstrike on its embassy annex in Damascus that killed several IRGC commanders. Iran blamed Israel for the attack, but Tel Aviv has yet to comment.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday visited the site and inaugurated a new consulate building nearby.
“I am saying loudly from Damascus that the Zionist regime will be punished and that America is responsible for the regime's attack on the Iranian embassy and must be held accountable,” he was quoted saying by Iranian state media.
The Pentagon has said it had nothing to do with the attack.
United States President Joe Biden on Friday told reporters that he expects Iran will attack Israel “sooner than later” and warned Tehran against taking action.
Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli army, said in a video message on Saturday, “Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.”
He did not comment on the seizure of the ship.
"Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression," he added.
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