Iran confirmed that an Israeli-affiliated ship had been seized by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fleet near the Strait of Hormuz. The Israeli Foreign Ministry reacted by saying that sanctions should be imposed on Iran for the "pirate operation," and the IDF warned that Iran "will suffer consequences for the decision to further escalate the situation," UNN writes with reference to The Times of Israel.
Details
The Iranian Tasnim news agency reports that the seizure of the Israeli-affiliated container ship MSC ARIES was carried out by the IRGC fleet. The vessel was boarded close to the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
After the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an Israeli-affiliated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Tehran is engaged in piracy and must be punished for it.
"Ayatollah Khamenei's regime is a criminal regime that supports Hamas's crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law," Katz said. "I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and to immediately impose sanctions on Iran.
In a video message in English released after the Iranian IRGC seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagar warned Iran that it "will suffer consequences for deciding to further escalate the situation.
Haghari does not mention the incident, indicating that it may have been filmed earlier, but says that "Iran is funding, training and arming terrorist proxies in the Middle East and beyond.
"The Iranian-backed Hamas started this war on October 7; the Iranian-backed Hezbollah expanded this war on October 8; and since then, the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, have turned this into a global conflict," he said.
"Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terror. Its terrorist network threatens not only the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria; the regime in Iran is fomenting war in Ukraine and beyond," Haghari continued.
He noted that "Iran will suffer consequences for its decision to further escalate the situation.
"Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to defend Israel against further Iranian aggression. We are also ready to respond," Hagari said.
"The IDF is prepared for all scenarios and will take the necessary steps - together with our allies - to protect the people of Israel," he added.
The US informs that Iran is moving military equipment4/13/24, 7:07 AM