Iran's Revolutionary Guard seizes ‘Israeli-linked’ ship in Strait of Hormuz

Commandos from Iran's Revolutionary Guard rappelled down onto a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel "related to the Zionist regime", Iran's state media has said.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on Saturday acknowledged the seizure after a video seen by the Associated Press news agency showed the commandos raiding the ship Saturday, an attack a Mideast defence official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West.

"A container ship named 'MCS Aries' was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," IRNA state news agency reported.

It added that the operation took place "near the Strait of Hormuz", a waterway vital to world trade, and "this ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters" of Iran.

According to Israel's Channel 14 and Times of Israel, the vessel seized in the Strait of Hormuz was MSC Aries, which carries the Portuguese flag and belongs to Zodiac Maritime shipping company owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

An Israeli army spokesperson said Iran will bear "consequences" for the escalation.

The attack was earlier reported by the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which said it took place in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah.

The video shared with AP showed commandos rappelling down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel.

Escalating tensions

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 with potential cover fire.

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. Meanwhile, the wider Middle East remains on edge after six months of Israel's brutal war on Gaza.