US Condemns Iran’s Seizure of Portuguese-Flagged Container Ship MSC Aries

Iranian naval ships parading during the last day of a military exercise in the Gulf, near the strategic strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, in September 2020. (Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States has strongly condemned Iran’s seizure of a Portuguese-flagged container ship, the MSC Aries, in the Strait of Hormuz and urged Iran to immediately release the vessel and its 25 crewmembers.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. The Iranian Foreign Ministry alleged that the vessel had violated maritime laws and was linked to Israel.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson denounced the seizure and said the United States will work with its partners to hold Iran accountable for its action.

In an April 13 statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ms. Watson described the MSC Aries as a Portuguese-flagged, British-owned ship carrying a crew of Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian, and Estonian nationals onboard.

“Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards [sic] Corps, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” she wrote.

MSC, which operates the container ship, confirmed that Iran had seized its ship and stated that it was working “with the relevant authorities” to ensure its safe return and the well-being of its crew.

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Zodiac Maritime stated that MSC leases the Aries from its affiliate Gortal Shipping and that MSC is responsible for all the vessel’s activities. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of piracy and called on the European Union to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on Iran.

British Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps has also condemned Iran’s action and called for “the unconditional release of the ship and its crew without delay.”

“The seizure of the cargo ship MSC Aries by Iran is unacceptable and a blatant violation of international law,” he wrote on X. “We are working with partners to prevent escalation in the Middle East.”

Iran to Make Arrangements for India to Meet With Crew

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that it would soon make arrangements for Indian government representatives to meet with 17 Indian crewmembers onboard the seized cargo ship.

This agreement was reached following a telephone conversation between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on April 14.

“We are actively monitoring the situation concerning the seized ship, and arrangements will soon be made for representatives of the Indian government to meet with the crew members of the vessel in question,” the Iranian minister said.

The two ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East region. Mr. Jaishankar said he had stressed “the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy.”

Tensions have escalated across the Middle East since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked offensive operations in Gaza, with Israel and its ally, the United States, clashing repeatedly with Iranian-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Patrick Verhoeven, managing director of the International Association of Ports and Harbors, said that “innocent seafarers are suffering directly as a consequence of geopolitical conflicts,” which could cause “serious implications” to the global maritime communities and the ports.

“The attack today in the Gulf of Oman has the potential to further disrupt cargo transits in and out of the region, which will impact all of our member ports one way or another,” he said in a statement.

Iran launched more than 300 missiles and explosive drones on April 13 in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a strike that Iran stated was “self-defense” over what it claimed was an Israeli airstrike on its embassy in Syria. Israel stated that 99 percent of the projectiles were intercepted by its air defenses and those of its allies.

Reuters contributed to this report.