Iran's Revolutionary Guard Captures Ship with Indian Sailors Amid Israel Tensions

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship, the MSC Aries, near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The vessel, which is mostly manned by Indians, was attacked following a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month. The seizure has heightened tensions in the Middle East, with US President Joe Biden cutting short a weekend trip to monitor the situation. Iran's state-run IRNA reported that a special forces unit of the Guard's navy carried out the attack on the Portuguese-flagged ship, which is associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. The company is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group.Geneva-based MSC acknowledged the seizure and said 25 crew members were on board. "We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel," MSC stated. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson urged Iran to release the crew and vessel, which includes Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Russian, and Estonian nationals.The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations described the vessel as being "seized by regional authorities" in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on nations to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation. Iran has been involved in a series of ship seizures and attacks on vessels since 2019 amid ongoing tensions with the West over its nuclear programme.In response to increased tensions, Lufthansa Group extended its suspension of flights between Frankfurt and Tehran through Thursday and announced its planes would avoid Iranian airspace. Dutch airline KLM will no longer fly over Iran or Israel but will continue flights to and from Tel Aviv.