Middle East latest: Iranian commandos hijack Israel-linked cargo ship by helicopter – Israel vows ‘consequences’ | World News
Analysis: Iran has sent a message to Israel’s allies – it has chaos at its fingertips
By Alex Rossi, international correspondent
This was no act of maritime piracy and it was not meant to be. It was a warning from a major state which would have been sanctioned at the highest levels in Tehran.
In daylight, commandos from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps board and takeover a ship in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Huge amounts of oil and gas pass through the waterway everyday – if it was closed, it would have huge ramifications for global trade. In short, it would cause chaos.
Why have the Iranians done this? Well, timing is everything.
The ship, the MSC Aries, is Portuguese-flagged but it is linked to Zodiac Maritime, which is part of Israeli billionaire’s Eyal Ofer’s portfolio.
Tensions between Israel and Iran are extraordinarily high – US intelligence claims an Iranian missile attack on Israel as retaliation for the Damascus consulate strike is imminent.
The taking of the ship is unlikely to draw a military response from the IDF but it sends signals.
It is a provocation to Jerusalem but it’s also a message to Israel’s allies that Iran can cause mayhem by closing the Strait of Hormuz.
In that sense it is a projection of Iranian power and a warning that standing with Israel can bring consequences.
