Middle East Crisis: Container Ship Hijacked Near Strait Of Hormuz Amid Soaring Iran Tensions

Via ZeroHedge

While Israel on Friday braced for cruise missile and suicide drone attacks, there are new reports on Saturday morning that Iranian commandos hijacked an Israeli-affiliated container ship heading towards the Strait of Hormuz.

AP News says the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported the hijacking of Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime. Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer controls the international ship management company that owns and charters large vessels.

Video of the boarding has been circulating X for the past hour. However, “AP could not immediately verify the video, it corresponded to known details of the boarding, and the helicopter involved appeared to be one used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has carried out other ship raids in the past,” the media outlet said.

According to Bloomberg data, MSC Aries was leaving a port from Dubai on Thursday and heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel’s last known position was recorded around 1256 local time on Friday off Dubai’s coast. AP noted that the ship’s transponder had been switched off.

X user Megatron called the ship’s seizure by Iran a “big game changer”:

This once again is confirming that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar are helping Israel bypass the Houthi blockade by land route from the UAE port.

Iran is now cutting that route as well. 

If Hezbollah cut the Mediterranean route with its drones, Israel could fall into a complete trade blockade.

The incident in the Strait of Hormuz is very concerning since maritime chokepoints in the region are plagued with conflict. Off of Yemen, in the Bab-El Mandeb Strait, Iran-backed Houthis have unleashed multi-month drone and missile attacks against US, UK, and Israeli vessels.

In a recent note to clients, the global corporate & investment banking capital markets strategy team at MUFG Bank warned the key theme for 2024 would be “Higher friction geopolitics.”

Focusing on the Middle East, MUFG’s Tom Joyce showed how 25% of global trade flows through three chokepoints: Suez Canal, Bab-El Mandeb Strait, and Strait of Hormuz. The latest incident is very concerning for global trade and flow of goods, such as energy products, through the region.

This all comes as Israel is bracing for drone and missile attacks by Iran or its proxies as warnings flashed on Friday about retaliation for the killing last week of senior Iranian military officials at the country’s embassy in Damascus.

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21 Comments
Anonymous
Anonymous
April 13, 2024 9:24 am

If Israel stopped bombing people all the time, and stopped constantly stealing more land, and stopped constantly trying to provoke other countries into war, maybe they would be left alone.

The Central Scrutinizer
The Central Scrutinizer
  Anonymous
April 13, 2024 10:16 am

Would YOU bet YOUR LIFE on a “maybe”? I’m not yet convinced that you’re actually that stupid…but you’re workin’ that way!

Anonymous
Anonymous
  The Central Scrutinizer
April 13, 2024 1:02 pm

I wrote that comment just for you. Just like a mindless fish, you took the bait just like I knew you would.

😂

You’re too easy, Zio shillbot.

The Central Scrutinizer
The Central Scrutinizer
  Anonymous
April 14, 2024 9:03 am

May your house be blown up with you in it…but I’m glad I’m keeping you entertained.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  The Central Scrutinizer
April 14, 2024 12:31 pm

Keep crying like a bitch, Zio shillbot.

😂

Josey Wales
Josey Wales
  Anonymous
April 13, 2024 1:36 pm

SO YOUR SAYING THAT ISREAL SHOULDN’T EXIST AT ALL??? THAT OVER 3000 YEARS OF HISTORY SHOULD BE JUST TOSSED INTO THE GARBAGE AND FORGOTTEN BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ARABS WERE LEFT THERE AT THE END OF THE GREAT JIHAD CONQUEST. THE JEWS ARE STEALING LAND THAT ORIGINALLY BELONG TO THEM. FIGURES SINCE THEY NO LONGER TEACH ANY TYPE OF HISTORY IN SCHOOLS OR COLLEGES ANYMORE. HELL YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE THE LAND BACK TO TURKEY SINCE THE OTTOMAN EMPIRED RULED THERE FOR ALMOST A 1000 YEARS.

AnonNoMores
AnonNoMores
  Josey Wales
April 13, 2024 2:23 pm

The synagogue of Satan tribe deserves what is coming

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Josey Wales
April 13, 2024 4:22 pm

WHAT?

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
April 13, 2024 8:21 pm

If people left Israel alone, they would stop bombing people.

Not a republicrat
Not a republicrat
  Anonymous
April 13, 2024 10:15 pm

Which came first the Chicken or the egg? The small hats started all this.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
April 14, 2024 6:39 am

Theses two tribes of Abraham/Ibrahim have been fighting since Jacob and Esau had a falling out. Nothing is going to stop that.
Two brothers and one birthright

Karen's mother
Karen's mother
April 13, 2024 9:55 am

Can’t wait for Monday morning $ per/ barrel oil prices !
I hope my small penis compensating ex-husband with his stupid 1 ton dually that doesn’t haul or pull anything, bleeds him dry when this really gets going.
My Toyota Corolla Hybrid rules!

The Central Scrutinizer
The Central Scrutinizer
  Karen's mother
April 13, 2024 10:20 am

Little early in the day to be opening boxes of wine, ain’t it? Jesus, lady! Now you’ve just made us all want to hear HIS side of it!

And…if you ended up here, WTF did HE end up?

rhs jr
rhs jr
April 13, 2024 9:57 am

I have news for the jews, Bibi the Butcher is worse than Saddam Hussein and no better than other fascist barbarians who murdered women and children like Stalin, Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot etc. Israel has been weighed in the World’s and God’s Balance and will be Gaza’d. Read all about in in the Talmud (Zech 12, 13, 14).

Josey Wales
Josey Wales
April 13, 2024 1:32 pm

THEY USED TO CALL THAT PIRACY.

Harrington Richardson
Harrington Richardson
  Josey Wales
April 13, 2024 3:46 pm

Normal, clear thinking people still do.

rhs jr
rhs jr
April 13, 2024 2:39 pm

I posted that Bibi the Butcher is worse than Saddam Hussain and a little more twice and it was erased twice; no donation for you.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  rhs jr
April 13, 2024 8:21 pm

Something that stupid needs to disappear.

rhs jr
rhs jr
  Anonymous
April 13, 2024 9:55 pm

OK sorry, I apologize per se after research. Supposedly Saddam murdered appx 60,000 people, and Bibi only 30,000 so far, but he would surely exceed more than 60,000 if left to continue; Bibi has joined the Club of Modern Barbarians who have sent their Army to slaughter women and children: Hitler, Pol Put, Stalin, Hirohito, even Truman. Bibi seems justified to some now but I think Bibi has set Armageddon in motion and he will become responsible for the destruction of Israel as Prophesied in the Talmud (Zech 12,13,14). Bibi is your hero today but your Hitler “tomorrow”.

rhs jr
rhs jr
  rhs jr
April 14, 2024 2:20 am

I meant Tanakh, sorry.

Anonymous
Anonymous
April 13, 2024 4:38 pm

sounds like bait