DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A video seen by The Associated Press shows commandos raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter Saturday, an attack a Mideast defense official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the AP. In it, the commandos rappelled down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel.
A crew member on the ship could be heard saying: "Don't come out." He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship's bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire.
Though the AP could not immediately verify the video, it corresponded to known details of the boarding, and the helicopter involved appeared to be one used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has carried out other ship raids in the past.
The vessel involved is likely the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Zodiac declined to comment and referred questions to MSC, which did not immediately respond.
The MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West, particularly after a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Syria.
Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize soon — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.
Meanwhile, the wider Middle East remains on edge after six months of Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Gulf of Oman is situated near the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as the narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf and facilitates the passage of a significant portion of the world's traded oil. Fujairah, located on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, is a key port in the area where ships can load new oil cargo, acquire supplies, or exchange crew members.
Since 2019, there have been a series of incidents in the waters off Fujairah, including explosions and hijackings. The U.S. Navy has attributed limpet mine attacks on vessels that resulted in tanker damage to Iran.
