Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossei Amirabdollahian announced that the crew of a container ship flying the Portuguese flag, which was seized by the Islamic Republic and connected to Israel, should be released. The MSC Aries container ship was captured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. This incident occurred shortly after Tehran threatened to retaliate for a suspected Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus.
In a phone call to his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel, Amirabdollahian expressed his concern over the humanitarian issue of the crew’s release. The crew, consisting of 25 members, will be handed over to their respective diplomatic representatives in Tehran soon, although the exact timing was not specified. According to the minister, the MSC Aries was seized for violating maritime laws, and there was no doubt about its connection to Israel. The ship is chartered by MSC from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
Meanwhile, another maritime incident occurred off the coast of Yemen involving multiple missiles that damaged a ship during an attack claimed by Houthi rebels. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Security Agency (UKMTO) reported that the first explosion near the ship was felt by the crew on board, followed by a second attack with two missiles causing damage. In addition to this incident, a British maritime security company Ambrey also reported an attack off the port of Mokha involving three missiles. The targeted vessel was identified as a Panama-flagged oil tanker previously owned by the United Kingdom but now registered in the Seychelles. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for both attacks on behalf of his group. These incidents come after a series of attacks by the Houthis on international shipping in the Red Sea since November purportedly in solidarity with Palestinians amidst conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Overall these incidents highlight tensions between various countries and groups in terms of maritime law enforcement and security measures. As such it is important for nations and organizations involved to work together towards finding peaceful solutions that respect international law while maintaining safety and security at sea.
