Reports are circulating that an Iranian boxship suffered an explosion on Wednesday in the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Israel's coastline.
The 2,200-teu Shahr E Kord (built 2012) suffered "an incident" while en route from the Suez Canal to Syria, according to maritime risk firm Ambrey Intelligence.
Ambrey said the ship slowed and deviated from the route shortly after 6 am (0400 GMT) on 10 March.
Meanwhile, unverified images of the ship circulated on social media, appearing to show smoke coming from the container stack near the bow of the ship and a container torn apart.
"Images of the destroyed container display significant signs of overpressure and peeling, indicating that it is a realistic possibility that the explosion originated from within the container," maritime security consultancy Dryad Global said in a statement.
The explosion was said to have occurred 133 km (72 nautical miles) off Haifa.
According to Dryad, Iranian media claims that the ship was attacked by Israel are unconfirmed.
"Israel is assessed to have both the capability and intent to conduct complex maritime operations against adversaries both within littoral waters and beyond," Dryad said.
On 26 February, the 7,721-ceu Helios Ray (built 2015) suffered explosions on board while transiting the Gulf of Oman.
The car carrier was reportedly owned by Israeli interests and the Israeli government blamed Iran for the explosion, calling it a mine attack.
According to AIS data, the Shahr E Kord is located off Baniyas, Syria.
The ship is flagged in Iran and connected to Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management.
The ship is blacklisted by the US government over its alleged ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Washington maintains the Iranian shipping industry supports the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which it has deemed a terrorist organisation.
According to Dryad, citing AIS data, the Shahr E Kord sailed through the Bab Al Mandab strait on 2 and 3 March and called alongside the 23,176-dwt Iran-flagged cargoship Saviz (built 1999).
That ship was also sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement with the IRISL.
Israeli campaign alleged
The Wall Street Journal added fuel to the fire on Thursday with a report claiming that Israel has been launching attacks against Iranian ships since late 2019.
US officials told the newspaper that Israel has targeted at least 12 vessels bound for Syria and mostly carrying Iranian oil, due to concerns that profits from the deals are funding extremism in the Middle East.
Israel is said to have used weaponry including water mines to strike Iranian vessels or those carrying Iranian cargo in the Red Sea and in other areas of the region.
Some of the attacks have targeted Iranian efforts to move other cargo including weapons through the region, the report claims.
The attacks on some of the tankers have not been previously disclosed and no vessels were named.
Iranian officials have reported some of the attacks earlier and have said they suspect Israeli involvement.
Neither Israel nor Iran has commented. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred questions to the Israeli military, which declined to comment on any Israeli role in the attacks on the Iranian ships.
