The United States Decries Iran’s Seizure of Portuguese-Flagged Container Ship MSC Aries
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized the cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.
The United States has strongly condemned Iran’s seizure of a Portuguese-flagged container ship, the MSC Aries, in the Strait of Hormuz and urged Iran to immediately release the vessel and its 25 crewmembers.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized the cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. The Iranian Foreign Ministry alleged that the vessel had violated maritime laws and was linked to Israel.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson denounced the seizure and said that the United States will work with its partners to hold Iran accountable for its action.
“Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” she stated.
MSC, which operates the container ship, confirmed that Iran had seized its ship and said it was working “with the relevant authorities” to ensure its safe return and the well-being of its crew.
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Zodiac Maritime said that MSC leases the Aries from its affiliate Gortal Shipping and that MSC is responsible for all the vessel’s activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
British Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps has also condemned Iran’s action and called for “the unconditional release of the ship and its crew without delay.”
Iran to Make Arrangements for India to Meet With Crew
Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign ministry stated that it would soon make arrangements for Indian government representatives to meet with 17 Indian crewmembers onboard the seized cargo ship.
This agreement was reached following a telephone conversation between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on April 14.
Tensions have escalated across the Middle East since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked offensive operations in Gaza, with Israel and its ally, the United States, clashing repeatedly with Iranian-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
Patrick Verhoeven, managing director of the International Association of Ports and Harbors, said that “innocent seafarers are suffering directly as a consequence of geopolitical conflicts,” which could cause “serious implications” to the global maritime communities and the ports.
Iran launched more than 300 missiles and explosive drones on April 13 in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a strike that Iran said was “self-defense” over what it claimed was an Israeli airstrike on its embassy in Syria. Israel said that 99 percent of the projectiles were intercepted by its air defenses and its allies.
Reuters contributed to this report.
