Israeli Cargo Ship Targeted in ‘Missile Attack Attributed to Iran’

Israeli media reported on Thursday, the fifth of Farvardin, about a missile attack by Iran on an Israeli cargo ship in the Arabian Sea.

According to the news website ‘Channel 12’, the shipping company ‘XTM (Xtreme Tankers Management)’ based in the port of Haifa is the owner of the cargo ship.

The ship, which was traveling from Tanzania to India, was able to continue its journey after the missile attack attributed to Iran.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters that they are reviewing the reports received.

Other Israeli officials and institutions have so far refrained from commenting on the incident.

About a month earlier, in a suspicious incident, an Israeli cargo ship near the Gulf of Oman was targeted. The ship named ‘MV Helios Ray’, sailing under the Bahamas flag, suffered damage at four points on the 8th of Esfand following a mysterious explosion, resulting in four holes in its hull.

Israeli officials blamed the Islamic Republic of Iran for the attack. However, Iran’s government ‘firmly’ rejected the accusation.

Two weeks after this incident, an Iranian container ship named ‘Iran Shahr Kord’ suffered an accident on the 20th of Esfand in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in response to the incident affecting the Shahr Kord ship, stated that ‘the finger of blame’ points towards Israel.

Said Khatibzadeh emphasized on the 25th of Esfand in a press conference that if it becomes clear ‘which parties had a hand in this sabotage operation’, Iran’s government will use all options ‘to defend its rights’.

The newspaper ‘Haaretz’ reported last week that Israel’s multiple attacks on dozens of Iranian oil tankers in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damage to Iran’s government.

The ‘Wall Street Journal’ also published a report on the 21st of Esfand stating that since the end of 2019, Israel has targeted at least 12 ships carrying Iranian oil bound for Syria.

According to this report, some of the ships that were attacked were carrying weapons of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A source familiar with maritime security previously told Reuters that in recent weeks, three other Iranian ships crossing the Red Sea suffered accidents for ‘unknown’ reasons.

Source: Radio Farda