DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iranian container ship was damaged during an attack in the Mediterranean, the state-run shipping company said on Friday, adding that they were identifying perpetrators of what they called terrorism and piracy.
Ali Ghiasian spokesman Ali Ghiasian, according to state media, said the ship, Shahr e Kord, was slightly damaged in Wednesday’s incident by an explosive object that caused a small fire.
“Such terrorist acts amount to piracy of the sea, and are in violation of international commercial safety legislation, and legal action will be taken to identify the perpetrators through relevant international institutions,” Ghiasian said.
The vessel was on its way to Europe when the attack took place and will depart for its destination after repairs, he added.
The vessel flagged by Iran last reported its position off the coast of Syria on March 10 when it was en route to the Syrian port of Latakia.
Two sources for maritime safety said the initial indications were that the Iranian container ship had been deliberately targeted by an unknown source.
The incident occurred two weeks after the MV HELIOS RAY ship was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman.
The cause was not immediately clear, though a U.S. defense official said the blast left holes on both sides of the vessel’s hull. Israel has accused Iran of being behind the blast, a charge denied by the Islamic Republic.
On Friday, Israeli officials did not comment when asked if Israel was involved in the Shahr e Kord incident reported by Iran.
The vessel, which is among Iranian ships designated by the US under strict sanctions, was detained in Libya in 2019, although the ship was later released.
A third source for maritime safety told Reuters that three other Iranian ships had been damaged by the Red Sea for unknown reasons in recent weeks.
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Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel directed at least a dozen vessels en route to Syria and mostly carried Iranian oil out of concern that petroleum profits were financing terrorism in the Middle East.
Iran, which often threatens strong retaliation for any Israeli attack, has often refused to point the finger at Israel over repeated airstrikes on Iranian-backed forces in Syria, in an apparent attempt to avoid an overall war with Israel.
Israeli officials declined to comment on the report, which quoted unnamed U.S. and local officials as prompting the Biden government to review policy on Iran. The US embassy in Jerusalem did not immediately comment.
In a speech to Israeli naval cadets in 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of increasing oil smuggling by sea to circumvent US sanctions, saying the navy would “play a more important role in blocking these Iranian actions”.
He did not elaborate on what this might entail.
Israel has separately said it is waging a secret “campaign between wars” to deny Iranian allies on its borders and give weapons and other support to Tehran.
“We do not comment on the campaign we are conducting in the operational context,” Israeli Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Radio 102 FM in Tel Aviv when asked about the Journal report.
“But we always emphasize that we must oppose Iranian warfare in all areas … and I assume that this includes the air and sea arena as well as the land.”
The Israeli navy, of which the largest vessels are rocket corvettes and five submarines with diesel, is mostly active in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
Reporting by Dubai News Office; Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem, Jonathan Saul in London; Edited by William Maclean and Mark Heinrich