Iran is seeking a $170 million fine from the Israeli owner of the MSC Aries, a cargo ship seized in the Gulf in April 2024 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), officials announced Tuesday.
The U.S. condemned the seizure at the time as “an act of piracy”, while Israeli officials called on the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization © Mena Today
Iran is seeking a $170 million fine from the Israeli owner of the MSC Aries, a cargo ship seized in the Gulf in April 2024 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), officials announced Tuesday.
The vessel, sailing under the Portuguese flag and reportedly managed by Zodiac Maritime, a company linked to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, was captured with 25 crew members onboard, amid rising regional tensions following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said the ship’s owner is being prosecuted for "financing terrorism" and is identified as a "recognized Zionist and influential figure in Israeli power circles."
The U.S. condemned the seizure at the time as “an act of piracy”, while Israeli officials called on the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
The estimated value of the ship, excluding cargo, is $170 million — the amount Iran now seeks in damages.
By Christian Tober
Efforts to reach an interim deal to end hostilities between Iran and the U.S. have intensified, three Iranian sources and a European official told Reuters on Thursday, despite strikes launched by both sides, as the warring parties discuss how to release frozen Iranian funds.
The United States and Iran traded air attacks for a second straight day on Thursday, with President Donald Trump vowing further strikes if Tehran does not immediately agree to a peace deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States will attack Iran "very hard" if no peace deal is secured and announced the U.S. military secretly escorted ships carrying more than 100 million barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz, moderating global oil prices.
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