Iran's IRGC Seizes Portuguese-Flagged, British-Owned Vessel Near Strait Of Hormuz

A statement by the Zodiac Group said that the ship had 25 crew aboard when it was seized and that 20 were Filipinos.

UAE/IRAN - Israeli-affiliated Portuguese-flagged, British-owned British-owned cargo vessel MSC Aries has been seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz.

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The seizure was initially reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and then reported on by Iranian state-run media, which said that the IRGC carried out a "heliborne operation" on the vessel's deck.

Vessel tracking site, Marine Traffic reported that the MSC Aries had been sailing through the Persian Gulf, headed toward India.

A statement by the Zodiac Group said that the ship had 25 crew aboard when it was seized and that 20 were Filipinos. Below is a list of nationalities that were aboard the vessel:

• Indian

• Filipino

• Pakistani

• Russian

• Estonian

Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company released a statement on the incident that said, "MSC is responsible for all vessel activities including cargo operations and maintenance.

Title to the vessel is held by ​Gortal Shipping Inc as financier and she has been leased to MSC on a long-term basis. Gortal Shipping Inc is affiliated with Zodiac Maritime."

Iran Reports It Carried Out Seizure, US Response, Incident Reports In The Region: