![]() The MV Helios Ray, a vehicle carrier, was travelling from the Saudi port of Dammam to Singapore when the blast occurred on Thursday, according to the Dryad Global maritime security group. In response, Iran has gradually and publicly breached the nuclear deal with world powers to create leverage over Washington to return to the deal, which saw Tehran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of crippling sanctions.JERUSALEM-Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz said on Saturday his “initial assessment” was that Iran was responsible for an explosion on an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman overnight between Thursday and Friday. ![]() Hostilities between the nations escalated after Mr Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord and reimposition of harsh sanctions on Iran. The explosions came after the US attributed a series of confrontations in the region to Iran, including the use of limpet mines - designed to be attached magnetically to a ship’s hull - to attack four oil tankers off the nearby Emirati port of Fujairah, and the bombing of an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia by Iranian-backed fighters. In the summer of 2019, the US military blamed Iran for suspected attacks on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic shipping lanes. While the circumstances of the explosion remain unclear, Dryad Global, said it was very possible the blast stemmed from “asymmetric activity by Iranian military”.Īs Iran seeks to pressure the United States to lift sanctions and return to the 2015 nuclear accord, the country may seek “to exercise forceful diplomacy through military means”, the Dryad report said. The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet was “aware and monitoring” the situation, Commander Rebecca Rebarich told The Associated Press. It still listed Singapore as its destination on its tracker.Ī United Nations ship database identified the vessel’s owners as a Tel Aviv-based firm called Ray Shipping. Satellite-tracking data from website showed the Helios Ray had been nearly entering the Arabian Sea on Friday before it suddenly turned around and began heading back toward the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied the accusations, which came amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.ĭryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, identified the vessel as the MV Helios Ray, a Bahaman-flagged roll-on, roll-off vehicle cargo ship.Īnother private security official also identified the ship as the Helios Ray. The site of the blast, the Gulf of Oman, saw a series of explosions in 2019 that the US Navy blamed on Iran against the backdrop of steeply rising threats between former president Donald Trump and Iranian leaders. The explosion forced the vessel to head to the nearest port. The crew and vessel were safe, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British Navy. The unexplained blast has renewed concerns about ship security amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran. An explosion has struck an Israeli-owned cargo ship sailing out of the Middle East.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |