By Stephen Ubanna, with agency reports
In spite of pressure on the Iran Government by the International Community to release the MSC, seized ship seized from the international waters, the Middle country appears to have rebuff them.
Notwithstanding the hardline position taken by the Iranian Government not to release the Israel linked ship, operator of the MSC Aries, seized by Iran, on Saturday, April 13, 2024, had said on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, that the 2 Crew members on board the Container ship are safe, noting that discussions with the Iranian Authorities are in progress to secure their earliest release. The Swiss headquartered shipping company had said that they are also working with the Authorities to get the cargo discharged.
Recall that the Somali Pirates had hijacked a Bangladeshi –flagged Bulk carrier vessel, MV Abdulah, on March 18, 2024, and had received $5 million or $20,000, ransom payout per crew member, to facilitate the release of the vessel and its crewmembers
The tension in the Gulf of Eden, the Red sea, and other international waters, where ocean- going vessels are continuously being threatened by Pirates in the recent time, may have encouraged the Nigerian Navy, under the close watch of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla with the support of Dayo Mobereola, led Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, were said to intensify patrol on the Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, to forestall a repeat of the Somalia and IRNA incident in the region.
The Iranian Paramilitary RG, which was said to have carried out the attack on a Portuguese -flagged MSC Aries, 15,000 TEU, a Container ship associated with a London-based Zodiac Maritime Group on Saturday , April 13, 2024, as it was heading from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirate, UAE, about 600 nautical miles east of the Somali Capital.
The Geneva-based MSC which had acknowledged the seizure of the Container ship had said that there were 25 crew members on board the ship, made up of Indian, Philippine, Pakistan, Russian and Estonian nationals. The Times of Indian had reported that the MSC cargo ship , which had 17 Asian country of Indian Seafarers on board in the Strait of Hormuz had been hijacked by the Iran Paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, which had the backing of the Iranian Navy, IRNA. The IRNA Authorities, had said that the seized Israel-linked ‘’Container ship had violated the country’s maritime laws’’.
. Naor Gilon, Israeli Ambassador to India, who could not take it from the Iran Paramilitary Revolutionary Guards had said that the Israel-linked cargo ship, MSC Aries that was seized by Iran Government with 17 Indian nationals on board was’’ a clear piracy and should not be allowed by the International Maritime Organization, IMO, a maritime agency of the United Nations, UN, under the close watch of Arsenio Dominguez.
An aggrieved Israeli Ambassador had said that the cargo ship in question which was a Portuguese – Flagged owned by Zodiac Maritime, was based in the United Kingdom, UK. Given an insider information, he had revealed that the Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group owned by Israeli multi-billionaire business mogul, Eyal Offer. He had said that the attack on the MSC Aries linked to an Israeli businessman was an attack on Israel, stating that it will‘’ not stand idle to watch attack its ocean- going vessels and get away with it’, an invitation to war.
The US Government may have agreed with Israel that the seizure of the Portuguese Flagged and MSC operated Chartered Container ship was ‘’an act of piracy by Iran and a blatant violation of international law ‘’that should be condemned by the International community to avoid a repeat in future. ‘’We strongly condemn the Iranian Government seizure of the Portuguese Flagged, British –owned MSC Aries in International waters’’., the Us Government had said.
The United States Department of State had said that the Iran Paramilitary Revolutionary Guard could have successfully attacked the Portuguese Flagged ship because ‘’the Guards had rappelled from a helicopter onto the Israeli affiliated Container ship near the Strait Hormuz and hijacked the vessel’’.
The US Department of State had reported that the Iranian Paramilitary Revolutionary Guards attacked the Israeli linked cargo ship because of Israel military strike on the Iranian Consular building in Syria that was said to have killed 12 people , including a senior Guard General who was said to have once Commanded the Iran expeditionary QUDS Force there.
The IRNA, have confirmed that the special Forces unit of the Iran Paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s navy had carried out the attack on the Portuguese – flagged MSC Aries and Israeli cargo linked ship associated with The UK based Zodiac Maritime, thus sending a signal to Israel that the Middle East country is ready for them at the battlefield .
Informed Maritime sources had confirmed that MSC Aries was last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, April 12, 2024. The vessel was said to have switched off its tracking data, which was said to have been a common feature of all Israeli –affiliated ships moving through the Gulf region.
This may have informed why Katz, Israel, Foreign Affairs minister has called on the international Community ‘’to list the Iran Paramilitary Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist Organization’’. The Israeli, Foreign Affairs minister had made it clear that the Iranian Government supports the Hamas ‘crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of the international law in the Gulf region.
The British military ‘s UK Maritime Trade Operations had told those that cares to listen that the Israeli linked Container ship was hijacked by Regional Authorities , in the Gulf of Oman off Emirati port city of Fujairah, to escalate the crisis in the Middle East.
Perhaps, to forestall the escalation of the crisis in the Gulf region, the UK, Government, have called on the Iranian Authorities to take immediate action’’ to facilitate the release of the Israeli cargo ship detained by the country’s Navy. The UK Authorities had reechoed what the Israel Authorities had said that the Guard to control of the vessel.
It had confirmed that the ship , owned by Gortal shipping, a Finance Company associated with Zodiac Maritime , was targeted for its Israeli links, to draw out the multi-billionaire Eyal to pay compensation. The UK Authorities had said that the seizure of the cargo ship MSC Aries by IRNA special force of the Naval Guards units was unacceptable and a blatant violation of international law.
The IRNA seizure of the Israeli linked 15,000TEU MSC Aries was said to have come before the Middle East country launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for the attack on its Consulate in Syria on April 1, 2024 that was to have killed 12 Revolutionary Guards personnel.
UK Authorities had declared that seizure of the MSC Aries and escalating tension between Israel and Iran and the over six months of attacks by IRNA on ships in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf Eden from Houthi militia in Yemen with the backing of Iran resulting in the worldwide scale rerouting of ocean-going vessels via the Cape of Good Hope would see further to the disruption of global shipping.
The International Chamber of Shipping, ICS, described as a principal International Trade Association for Merchant ship owners and operators, representing all sectors and Trades and over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet had condemned the IRNA action. It was said to have also joined Israel, UK and the US, to declare that ‘’it is a direct contravention of international Law and an assault on the fundamental principle of the freedom of navigation for the Iranian Government to have seized MSC Aries Vessel on international voyage’’.
The Chamber was emphatic that the Iran seizure of the MSC Aries was a flagrant breach of international Law, urging the Iranian Government ‘’to release the ship as a matter of urgency’’. Appealing to ships transiting the Gulf region to always conduct a thorough threat assessment and liaise closely with military forces , it stated that’’ this is the only sure way ‘’to ensure that cargo ships will be fully protected against possible attacks by Pirates and aggression by Iranian special forces’’.
