As Israel fights Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a suspected Iranian drone attacked a container ship owned by an Israeli millionaire in the Indian Ocean, an American defence official claimed on Saturday.
The attack on the CMA CGM Symi on Friday occurred as international shipping is being targeted more and more in the weeks-long conflict that has the potential to spread throughout the region, despite the fact that hostilities have been suspended and Hamas is exchanging hostages for Israeli-held Palestinian inmates.
The defence official, who discussed intelligence concerns with The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity, stated that the Malta-flagged vessel was believed to have been targeted while in international seas by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.
The official stated, “We are still keeping a careful eye on the situation.” The official would not go into detail about the intelligence that the US military collected to determine whether Iran was responsible for the attack.
An Israeli ship was reportedly targeted in the Indian Ocean, according to Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that has political ties to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Lebanon, which receives support from Iran. The report was sourced anonymously by the channel and subsequently referenced by Iranian media.
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A request for comment from the significant shipper CMA CGM, which is situated in Marseille, France, was not immediately answered. But the crew of the ship had been acting as if there was a threat to the ship.
According to information from MarineTraffic.com that the AP examined, the ship’s Automatic Identification System tracker was turned off since Tuesday when it departed the Jebel Ali port in Dubai. For safety reasons, ships should always have their AIS activated, but if they feel like they could be a target, the crew will switch it off. Earlier, on its way through the Red Sea, it had passed through Yemen, the home of the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran.
The AP was informed by the private intelligence firm Ambrey that “the attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessel’s Israeli affiliation through Eastern Pacific Shipping.” “Days before the incident, the vessel’s AIS transmissions were off, indicating that this does not prevent an attack on its own.”
Eastern Pacific Shipping, based in Singapore, is the owner of the Symi. Idan Ofer, an Israeli millionaire, ultimately controls the company. On Saturday, Eastern Pacific Shipping’s Singapore phone number rang unanswered, while an email request for feedback received no response. The Israeli Foreign Ministry received inquiries from the Israeli military, but it did not reply right away.
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Associated with Eastern Pacific, the oil tanker Pacific Zircon, flying the flag of Liberia, was damaged in an alleged Iranian strike off the coast of Oman in November 2022.
An inquiry for comment was not answered by Iran’s UN representative. But in the larger Middle East, Tehran and Israel have been fighting a years-long covert conflict, with some drone strikes going towards Israeli-affiliated ships that are cruising the area.
In the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militants’ Oct. 7 attack, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and Syria during the war, though Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an attack.
