Seventeen Indian crew members, including the Master, are among the 25 people onboard the Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel MSC Aries, which was seized by Iran in the Gulf of Hormuz.
The ship, reportedly affiliated with Israel through the Zodiac shipping company, was captured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In addition to the Indian crew, the vessel’s crew includes four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian, and one Estonian. The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, following recent conflicts and retaliatory actions in the region.
Video footage aired on Press TV showed IRGC operatives descending onto the ship via helicopter, although the authenticity of this footage could not be independently verified. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported the incident northeast of Fujairah, near the Strait of Hormuz entrance to the Persian Gulf.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned Iran’s actions as a violation of international law, with Israel on high alert and prepared to respond to further escalation.
