Amirabdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, has announced that the crew of the ship flying the Portuguese flag, which was seized by the Islamic Republic and linked to Israel, will be released. The MSC Aries container ship with a crew of 25 was seized in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, just days after Tehran vowed to retaliate over a suspected Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus.
In a phone call to his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel, Amirabdollahian expressed his concerns about the humanitarian issue of releasing the crew. He promised that they would be handed over to their respective diplomatic representatives in Tehran, although no specific timing was given. The minister stated that the Aries was seized for violating maritime laws and being linked to Israel.
In a separate incident, a ship was damaged by multiple missiles off the coast of Yemen in an attack claimed by Houthi rebels. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Security Agency reported that the attack took place southwest of the Yemeni port of Mokha. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking two ships: Andromeda Star and MV Maisha. While Andromeda Star sustained minor damage and continued its journey, MV Maisha sank entirely.
These recent incidents follow a lull in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis who have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid conflict in Gaza Strip. Despite these challenges efforts continue to ensure safety and security of maritime activities in
