Iran blamed after attack on ship near Straight of Hormuz
A vessel has been seized in the Gulf of Oman, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates
Last updated 13th Apr 2024
An attack, in which commandos raided a ship by helicopter, has been attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West.
Video of the attack, seen by the Associated Press, showed commandos drop on to a stack of containers on the deck of the vessel.
Reportedly, in the footage a man can be heard saying "Don't come out," and tells colleagues to go to the ship's bridge as more commandos come down on to the deck.
The helicopter involved appears to be one used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has carried out previous ship raids.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge seizing any vessel and there was no report by state media about this incident.
However, since 2019 Iran has engaged in a series of ship seizures and been attributed to attacks on vessels amid tensions with the West over its nuclear programme.
The Gulf of Oman, where the attack took place, is near the Straight of Hormuz, a narrow channel through which a fifth of all oil passes.
The vessel involved is thought to be a Portuguese-flagged container ship, which is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime.
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