An Iranian military seizure of an Israeli-affiliated container ship has tensions running high. Among the 25 crew members onboard the vessel, there are 17 Indian nationals. The Iranian military took control of the ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian government is actively engaging through diplomatic channels from Delhi to Tehran to negotiate the safety and return of the crew. The incident occurred while the ship was transiting the Hormuz Strait when Iranian commandos executed an aerial raid.
Footage of the raid on the Israeli ship surfaced, showing Iranian commandos surrounding the vessel from a helicopter. This development follows an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy in Syria, which resulted in the death of a commander. Iranians seized the ship MSC Aries on Saturday morning.
The vessel, flying a Portuguese flag, now seems to be a pawn in the escalating conflict. India has issued an alert for its citizens and urged avoidance of travel to Israel and Iran. Iranian media claims the ship bore the Portuguese flag and is connected to Israel, consequently seized by Iranian commandos.
Of the 25 crew members, it's reported that 17 are Indian. MSC, which operates the vessel Aries, has confirmed Iran's seizure of the ship. They emphasize that ensuring the crew's safe return is a top priority. The MSC Aries has ties to the London-based Zodiac Maritime, reportedly operated by an Israeli billionaire businessman.
The Aries was last seen heading towards the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai on Friday. The ship had turned off its tracking data, a common practice for vessels related to Israel passing through this region.
