The Israeli regime is the prime suspect in a terrorist attack on a cargo ship belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Company Group (IRIS) in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week, according to an informed source.
“Considering the location of the ship and the way it was targeted, one of the strong possibilities is that this terrorist act was committed by the Zionist regime (Israel),” the source told Nour News on Saturday. .
Ali Ghiasi, spokesperson for IRISL, told Nour News on Friday that one of his cargo ships was damaged after being the target of a terrorist attack en route to Europe in the Mediterranean earlier this week.
He added that an explosive object struck the container ship – identified as Shahr-e Kord – while traveling on the high seas on Wednesday.
The official said the ship’s hull suffered slight damage but those on board were unharmed, noting that a small fire broke out following the blast, which was quickly extinguished by members. of the crew.
In its report on Saturday, Nour News spoke with a member of the technical team inspecting the damage to the ship, who said the explosive items struck a number of containers on the ship’s deck at high altitude; therefore, it is likely that the explosive projectile was fired from a flying object.
Some Israeli media also reported on Friday that the Tel Aviv regime may have been behind the terrorist attack.
Israeli officials did not comment when asked if Israel was involved in Friday’s attack.
The moment of the attack came a day after the the Wall Street newspaper reported that since 2019, Israel has been using naval weapons, including water mines, to strike ships that were either Iranian or carried Iranian cargo, as they headed for Syria.
The Israeli attacks began in late 2019 and targeted both Iranian ships and other ships carrying Iranian cargo, according to the report, citing “US and regional officials.”
Late last month, an Israeli freighter said it was attacked while in the Arabian Sea, claiming it suffered holes on both sides of its hull.
The regime’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was quick to blame Iran for the alleged incident, a charge flatly rejected by Tehran.
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in a letter to the UN Security Council that the incident “had all the characteristics of a complicated false flag operation by actors to continue their malicious policies and to advance their illegitimate goals â€.
‘Sabotage’ attack on Iranian ship violates international law: foreign ministry
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday condemned the “sabotage attack” against the container ship on the high seas.
“The reports confirm the sabotage attack on the ship, which is a flagrant violation of international law and the law of the sea,” Khatibzadeh said.
He added that the adoption of “measures necessary to identify the perpetrators of this act of sabotage” and the follow-ups necessary to study the different aspects of the incident are both on the agenda of the competent bodies.