IRGC seize 'Israel'-linked vessel near Strait of Hormuz
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Footage obtained by AP shows the IRGC seizing an Israeli-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
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A video seen by The Associated Press shows IRGC Navy members raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP)
Footage obtained by The Associated Press (AP) depicts the IRGC Navy seizing an "Israel"-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
The footage depicted the operation previously reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). However, it provided no details regarding the boarding incident in the Gulf of Oman near the Emirati port city of Fujairah.
Video purportedly from the IRGC boarding of the Israeli-linked MSC ARIES container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/UXOS2EuxKU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024
One defense official who requested anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the AP. In the footage, IRGC Navy members are seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck.
A crew member aboard the ship could be heard instructing, "Don't come out," before urging colleagues to proceed to the ship's bridge as additional commandos descended onto the deck.
The vessel in question is the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group.
Iran's IRNA News Agency said MSC Aries is being transferred to Iran's territorial waters.
It is worth noting that the MSC Aries was last tracked near Dubai on Friday, heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had deactivated its tracking data, a practice often observed among Israeli-affiliated vessels navigating through the region.
US, 'Israel' closely await Iran's retaliation
The incident occurs against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and 'Israel' following an Israeli aggression targeting the Iranian Consulate in Syria. The Israeli airstrike resulted in the martyrdom of seven members of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals.
In response, the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, affirmed that "Israel" made a grave mistake by targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus, highlighting that the attack is tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil.
Earlier on Thursday, the US restricted movements of its diplomats in "Israel" over security fears, the embassy said, as concerns mount of Iranian retaliation over the Israeli aggression that targeted the Iranian consulate.
On April 6, CNN cited a senior Biden administration official as saying that the United States is currently on high alert and actively preparing for a potentially "significant" Iranian attack. The official mentioned that senior American and Israeli officials believe that an Iranian attack is "inevitable".
