The AP obtained a video showing the boarding process, in which several militants are lowered between containers on the ship.
The ship was detained by “regional authorities”, according to the British Navy, which reported the attack early Saturday morning.
Official Iranian news agencies announced that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized “a cargo ship with links to the Zionist regime.” This was confirmed by an “informed source.” The ship is said to have been transferred to Iranian territorial waters.
An Israeli-owned company
A Middle Eastern military source told the Associated Press that Iran was behind the attack, which also finds some support in the fact that the helicopter used by the attackers is of a model used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The approximately 360-metre-long cargo ship is reported to be sailing under the Portuguese flag, but is owned by a company affiliated with the Israeli billionaire. Eyal Ofer.
The last time the ship indicated its position was on Friday when it was in Dubai, and boarding must have taken place on the other side of the strait in the Gulf of Oman. It is not unusual for ships linked to Israel – which risk becoming targets of Iran-linked attacks – to turn off their transponders when passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
An attack is expected
The attack comes at a time when Israel and its allies expect a major Iranian attack against Israeli targets.
In a statement shortly after the attack, the Israeli military issued a new warning against Iran, which it described as “the largest supporter of terrorism in the world.”
“Iran will have to face the consequences if it chooses to escalate the situation further,” the military spokesman says. Daniel HageryWhich confirms that Israel is ready.
“We have raised our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian attacks. We are also prepared to respond.”
Embroidery was not mentioned in the statement.
The Iranian regime vowed to retaliate for an air strike targeting senior Iranian military personnel in the Syrian capital, Damascus, last week. Fears are high that this could lead to greater escalation in the region, but from the Iranian side it has also been said that the regime is weighing its actions carefully.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard was behind several previous attacks on ships in the region, and Iran also assisted the Houthi movement in Yemen in its attacks in the south and west of the Arabian Peninsula.
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