Strait of Hormuz, location of the seizure

On 13 April 2024, Iran seized MSC Aries, a Portuguese-registered and Madeira-flagged container ship owned by ​Gortal Shipping[a] and leased to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The ship, with a crew of 25 people, was boarded by Iranian commandos in the Strait of Hormuz, within international waters off the coast of the UAE,[1][2] and taken to Iranian waters, effectively imprisoning the crew.[3][4] The incident was dubbed international piracy by Israeli media.

Following the incident, Israel called on the European Union to sanction the Iran Armed Forces.[5] The US, UK and Portugal (where the ship is registered) called for the ship's immediate release.[3]

Background

Iran has engaged in naval action against European, American or Israeli shipping that has been dubbed "piracy" by Israeli sources.[6] Both the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas and article 101(1)(a) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) state that piracy occurs on the high seas. Additionally, Article 58(2) of UNCLOS states that piracy can occur in an exclusive economic zone. Violent acts against ships in the territorial sea of any State cannot be piracy under international law.[7] Violent acts in territorial seas are armed robbery under the law of the International Maritime Organization.[8] The event occurred during an escalation between Iran and Israel during the proxy war between Israel and Iran and Hamas.[9][10] United States president Joe Biden warned Iran not to escalate the situation in the week preceding the incident.[11]

MSC Aries

History
Madeira
NameMSC Aries
OwnerGortal Shipping
OperatorMediterranean Shipping Company
Port of registryPortugal
Completed2020
Identification
  • IMO: 9857169
  • MMSI: 255806335
General characteristics
Tonnage149525 grt
Length366 m (1,200 ft 9 in)
Beam51 m (167 ft 4 in)

The MSC Aries is a container ship built in 2020. As of 2024 the ship is Portuguese-registered and Madeira-flagged. She has a length of 366 metres and a beam of 51 metres. It had a gross tonnage of 149525 tonnes and a summer deadweight of 158097 tonnes.[12] The ship is partially owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer and operated by his company, Zodiac Maritime (ZM).[13] The ship belongs to one of ZM's subsidiaries, Gortal Shipping Incas. MSC was in charge of "all activities", including freight operations and maintenance” of the ship.[14]

Events

On the morning of 13th of April 2024, Iran's Revolutionary Guards boarded and took control of MSC Aries via helicopter. The seizure of the ship occurred in international waters near the UAE coast.[15] The Israeli foreign minister called the Iranian action an act of international piracy, in alignment with international law. The Iranian military subsequently took the ship and its crew to Iranian waters.[16] The 25 crew members onboard comprised 17 Indians, four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Estonian national.[17]

Following the incident, the Israeli foreign minister called on the European Union to sanction the IRGC.[5] Joe Biden shortened his vacation and returned to the White House for "security consultations," and defence secretary Lloyd Austin called the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and said Israel can rely on the United States.[18]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Gortal Shipping is affiliated with Zodiac Maritime, and is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

References

  1. ^ https://www.business-standard.com/amp/external-affairs-defence-security/news/amid-growing-global-tension-iranian-soldiers-raid-vessel-near-oman-report-124041300376_1.html
  2. ^ "Iran seizes large container ship MSC Aries in Strait of Hormuz". 13 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Hand, Marcus (2024-04-14). "US and UK call for immediate release of MSC Aries seized by Iran". Seatrade Maritime News.
  4. ^ Schuetze, Christopher F. (2024-04-13). "Iran Seizes Commercial Ship Linked to Israel". New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Eichner, Itamar; Ben-Ari, Lior (2024-04-13). "שר החוץ קרא להטיל סנקציות על איראן אחרי ההשתלטות על הספינה. יועץ לחמינאי: "ישראל בפאניקה"" [The Foreign Minister called for sanctions to be imposed on Iran after the seizure of the ship. Advisor to Khamenei: "Israel is in a panic"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  6. ^ "Iran continues piracy against foreign vessels - analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  7. ^ Guilfoyle, Douglas, ed. (30 April 2013). "Chapter 14: Policy tensions and the legal regime governing piracy". Modern Piracy: Legal Challenges and Responses. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 325–366. ISBN 9781849804844.
  8. ^ Code of Practice for the Investigation of Crimes of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships, 2019. International Maritime Organization. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  9. ^ "On Hamas, what did Qatar know and when did it know it?". POLITICO. 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  10. ^ "Qatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: Hamas's network of allies". France 24. 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  11. ^ "Biden predicts impending Iranian attack on Israel as nations brace for regional escalation". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  12. ^ MSC Aries
  13. ^ "Iranian forces take over Israel-linked Portuguese ship MCS ARIES". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  14. ^ "Iranian forces seize ship linked to Israeli businessman in Strait of Hormuz".
  15. ^ "Israeli Army Warns Of "Consequences" After Iran Seizes Ship Off UAE Coast". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  16. ^ "Iran committing piracy, Israeli foreign minister says". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  17. ^ "17 Indians among 25 crew onboard Israel-linked cargo vessel seized by Iran". The Hindu. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  18. ^ Adelson, Daniel (2024-04-13). "ביידן מקצר את חופשתו בצל החשש מנקמה איראנית. גלנט שוחח עם אוסטין: "הוספנו יכולות חדשות"" [Biden cuts his vacation short amid fears of Iranian retaliation. Gallant talked to Austin: "We added new capabilities"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-13.
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