Israel has blamed Iran for an alleged attack that left a Ray Car Carriers vessel with four holes in its hull above the waterline.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "It was indeed an act by Iran, that's clear."
Reports claimed the Israeli-owned 7,721-ceu Helios Ray (built 2015) suffered an explosion in the Gulf of Oman on Friday.
"Iran is the greatest enemy of Israel, I am determined to halt it. We are hitting it in the entire region," Netanyahu told public broadcaster Kan.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but the ship sustained two holes on its port side and two to starboard just above the waterline, according to US defence officials.
The Helios Ray docked in Dubai for repairs on Sunday.
The carrier had visited various Middle East Gulf ports en route from Saudi Arabia to Singapore. The ship is owned by Israel-controlled Ray Car Carriers, which is registered in the Isle of Man.
Mines or missiles?
Iran has blamed Israel for a recent series of attacks, including the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a domestic scientist who founded the country's military nuclear programme.
Channel 13 News in Israel said mines had been attached to the Helios Ray, without citing a source.
This contradicted earlier reports in the country that blamed missiles for the damage.
Israeli experts are examining the ship in Dubai.
Limpet mines have been cited in other vessel explosions in the region that were blamed on, but denied by, Iran. They could have been attached to the hull in a Gulf port.
Israeli ships have been instructed to increase alertness and change their typical conduct in an attempt to evade potential problems.
No Iranian response
Iran has not commented on the incident. The Helios Ray's Greek manager, Stamco Ship Management, said no one would be available to comment.
Ray Car Carriers has not responded to requests for comment.
Israel's ambassador to the US and United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told Army Radio on Sunday that "it was no secret that the Iranians are trying to harm Israeli targets" and alleged the explosion on the ship bore the hallmarks of other Iranian attacks.
According to the Times of Israel, defence minister Benny Gantz said the proximity between the location of the incident and Iran raised concerns that it was responsible for the attack, but added that a probe had not yet been completed.
Probe continues
"We need to continue investigating," he stressed.
"The Iranians are looking to harm Israelis and Israeli infrastructure. The proximity to Iran leads to the assessment that there is a likelihood that this is an Iranian initiative. We are committed to continuing to check."
An LR1 product tanker owned by Hafnia suffered an explosion and fire at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah in December.
While the attack on the 76,600-dwt BW Rhine (built 2008) was not blamed on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Saudi Arabia described the incident as a “terrorist attack”.
The Hafnia blast was the third incident in little more than two months in which a tanker suffered an explosion in the region.
