Special forces of the IRGC seized a container ship connected to Israel

Special forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA. It is confirmed that the vessel is connected to Israel.

Special forces of the IRGC landed on the ship’s deck from a helicopter. After the seizure, the container ship headed for the territorial waters of Iran.

According to The Times of Israel, the container ship is associated with the London-based company Zodiac Maritime, which is part of the Zodiac Group of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on the international community to declare the IRGC a terrorist organization. He said that Iran “is a criminal regime that supports the crimes of Hamas and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law.” The radical Hamas group is recognized as a terrorist group in the United States and the European Union.

A representative of the Israel Defense Forces said that Iran “will bear the consequences for the decision to further escalate the situation.” The seizure of the vessel is not mentioned in the video appeal. As The Times of Israel suggests, it could have been recorded before the incident.

The seizure of the vessel occurred against the background of rising tensions between Iran and Israel. In early April, Iran accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on the territory of the Iranian embassy in Syria, which killed seven members of the IRGC. The Iranian authorities have repeatedly declared that they will take revenge on Israel.

• The US State Department on Thursday issued a warning to Americans in Israel, advising them not to travel outside large cities that are better protected by air defense systems. Employees of diplomatic agencies in the country are instructed to wait for orders as the situation changes.
• Also, many countries of the world, including the USA, France, Poland, India and Russia, recommended their citizens to refrain from traveling to Israel in the near future.