Iranian forces seized a giant boxship owned by an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime and chartered by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co early on Saturday.
The target of the operation in the Strait of Hormuz was the 15,000-teu MSC Aries (built 2020), MSC said, confirming an earlier TradeWinds report.
The vessel has been diverted from its itinerary towards Iran, the company said in a statement.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) had earlier reported the boarding and seizure “by regional forces” of an unidentified vessel about 50 nautical miles (93 kilometres) north-east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
MSC, the world’s largest container ship operator, later clarified that the boarding took place at 0243 GMT when the ship was passing the Strait of Hormuz.
There are 25 seafarers on board the MSC Aries.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their well-being and safe return of the vessel,” MSC said, without giving any indication of the crew’s nationalities.
The foreign ministry of the Philippines said it was working to establish whether any of its own citizens are on board.
Initial reporting of the incident was made by MSC’s security officer.
MSC is the manager and commercial operator of the vessel, which it has on long-term charter from the title holder Gortal Shipping, an company affiliated to Zodiac Maritime.
Security company Ambrey Analytics has seen still footage of at least three people fast-roping from a helicopter onto what appeared to be a container ship.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has previously used this method of boarding while seizing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the past, the IRGC took vessels to Iranian territorial waters.
Ambrey assessed that the seized vessel would be anchored offshore Bandar Abbas where other seized ships remained detained.
AP said it had seen a video in which a crew member on the ship could 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.
Iran’s Fars News Agency also released alleged footage of the incident, which could not be immediately verified.
Iranian payback?
The incident comes amid high tension in the area, following Iranian threats to retaliate against a lethal Israeli strike earlier this month on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, that killed seven members of IRGC.
The IRGC-linked Fars news agency described the Zodiac-affiliated MSC Aries as a ship “related to the Israeli regime”.
While Zodiac operates globally from London, it is ultimately owned by Israeli-born billionaire Eyal Ofer who is based in Monaco.
The risk for Israeli-affiliated vessels transiting the Persian Gulf has now increased to a “critical level”, maritime security intelligence firm Diaplous said on Saturday.
“The increased threat to Israeli shipping is assessed to persist in the Gulf of Oman and [the] Arabian Sea,” Ambrey said in a separate warning.
However, Israeli ships are not the only ones advised to sail with extreme caution.
All vessels transiting the region “should conduct a thorough threat assessment and liaise closely with military forces to ensure they are fully protected against further possible aggression by Iranian forces”, the International Chamber of Shipping said, condemning Iran’s action.
On 10 April, a leading Iranian military official reiterated long-standing warnings that his country is always capable of closing the Strait of Hormuz if it deems it necessary to protect its interests.
In the past, Iran’s navy has repeatedly boarded vessels sailing off its coast, either to apprehend tankers suspected of engaging in fuel smuggling or to retaliate against the seizure of its own ships or cargoes by US authorities in other jurisdictions.
The MSC Aries flies the Madeira flag.
