Iranian Commandos Seize Israeli-Affliated Cargo Ship in Possible Retailation for Consular Strike

Dubai: In what is being seen as the latest escalation between the two nations, a team of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commandos seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The incident comes at a time when the region is bracing for a likely counterattack to the alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consular in Damascus earlier this month that is reported to have killed 12 people, including a senior IRGC commander. 

For days, Iranian officials up to and including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been threatening to “slap” Israel for the Syria strike. Western governments have issued warnings to their citizens in the region to be prepared for attacks.

However, Iran in the past largely has avoided directly attacking Israel, despite it carrying out the targeted killing of nuclear scientists and multiple sabotage campaigns against Iran's atomic sites. Iran has however targeted Israeli or Jewish-linked sites through proxy forces over the decades.

Earlier this week, Guard General Ali Reza Tangsiri, who oversees its naval forces, criticised the presence of Israelis in the region and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020, something that long has enraged Tehran.

“We know that bringing Zionists in this point is not merely for economic work," Tangsiri reportedly said. "Now, they are carrying out security and military jobs, indeed. This is a threat, and this should not happen.”

Details of the attack

The vessel in question has been identified by local media sources in Iran as the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a contained ship associated with Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. The Associated Press reported that an anonymous Middle Eastern defence official had shared a purported video of the attack with the news agency which showed the Iranian commandos rappelling onto the deck of the vessel. 

A crew member on the ship can be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them with potential cover fire.

The video corresponded with known details of the MSC Aries. The helicopter used also appeared to be a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopter, which both the Guard and the Iranian-backed Houthis of Yemen have used in the past to conduct commando raids on ships.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, without elaborating.

The MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region.

Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures and attacks on vessels that have been attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

In previous seizures, Iran has offered initial explanations about their operations to make it seem like the attacks had nothing to do with the wider geopolitical tensions — though later acknowledging as much. In Saturday's attack, however, Iran's telling offered no explanation for the seizure other than to say the MSC Aries had links to Israel.

US President Biden issues strict warning to Iran

The US, Israel's main backer, has stood by the country despite growing concerns over Israel's war on Gaza killing more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounding over 76,200 more. Israel's war began after Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage.

On Friday, President Joe Biden warned Iran not to attack Israel and said he felt an Iranian attack on Israel likely would happen "sooner than later.”

“We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed,” Biden added.

The Gulf of Oman is near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast, is the main port in the region for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew.

Since 2019, the waters off Fujairah have seen a series of explosions and hijackings. The US Navy blamed Iran for limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers.

The UAE meanwhile has sought to mend ties with Iran and issued a statement condemning the suspected Israeli attack in Syria.

With inputs from AP.