2024 maritime incident
On 13 April 2024
Iran
seized
MSC Aries
,
a Portuguese-
registered
and
Madeira-flagged
container ship
owned by Gortal Shipping and leased to
Mediterranean Shipping Company
(MSC). The ship, with a crew of 25 people, was boarded by Iranian
commandos
in the
Strait of Hormuz
, within international waters off the coast of the
United Arab Emirates
,
[1]
[2]
and taken to Iranian waters, effectively imprisoning the crew.
[3]
[4]
The United States, United Kingdom, and Portugal (where the ship is registered) called for the ship's release immediately afterwards.
[3]
Background
[
edit
]
Since 2019 Iran has engaged in heightened naval action against European, American and Israeli shipping, persistently attacking various vessels and seizing ships amidst political issues,
[5]
[6]
dubbed "
piracy
" by Israeli outlets in 2023.
[7]
Both the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas and article 101(1)(a) of the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) state that piracy occurs on the high seas. Additionally, Article 58(2) of UNCLOS states that piracy can occur in an
exclusive economic zone
. Violent acts against ships in the
territorial sea
of any State cannot be piracy under
international law
.
[8]
Violent acts in
territorial seas
are
armed robbery
under the law of the
International Maritime Organization
.
[9]
The event occurred during an escalation between Iran and Israel during the
proxy war between Israel and Iran
and
Hamas
.
[10]
[11]
United States president
Joe Biden
warned Iran not to escalate the situation in the week preceding the incident.
[12]
MSC Aries
[
edit
]
History
|
|
Name
| MSC Aries
|
Owner
| Gortal Shipping
|
Operator
| Mediterranean Shipping Company
|
Port of registry
| Portugal
|
Completed
| 2020
|
Identification
| |
General characteristics
|
Tonnage
| 149,525
GT
|
Length
| 366 m (1,200 ft 9 in)
|
Beam
| 51 m (167 ft 4 in)
|
|
MSC Aries
is a
container ship
built in 2020. As of 2024 the ship is
Portuguese-registered
and
Madeira-flagged
. She has a length of 366 metres (1,200 ft 9 in) and a
beam
of 51 metres (167 ft 4 in). It has a 149,525
gross tonnage
(GT) and a summer tonnage of 158,097 tons
deadweight
(DWT).
[13]
The ship is leased by MSC from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of
Zodiac Maritime
,
[14]
with MSC directing the ship's activities.
[15]
Events
[
edit
]
On the morning of 13 April 2024,
Iran's Revolutionary Guards
boarded and took control of
MSC Aries
via helicopter, claiming that it had violated maritime law.
[14]
The seizure of the ship occurred in international waters near the UAE coast.
[16]
The Israeli foreign minister called the Iranian action an act of international piracy, in alignment with international law. The Iranian military subsequently took the ship and its crew to Iranian waters.
[17]
The 25 crew members onboard comprised 17 Indians, four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian and one Estonian national.
[18]
On April 27, the Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amirabdollahian
announced that the 24 remaining crew of
MSC Aries
being held were given access to their respective consulates, and would be released.
[19]
[20]
On May 3, he announced that the crew was released, but the vessel remained under the control of Iran.
[21]
Reactions
[
edit
]
Following the incident, the Israeli foreign minister called on the European Union to sanction the IRGC.
[22]
Joe Biden
shortened his vacation and returned to the
White House
for "security consultations," and defence secretary
Lloyd Austin
called the Israeli defence minister,
Yoav Gallant
, and said Israel can rely on the United States.
[23]
On 18 April, 16 shipping associations sent a joint letter to the United Nations requesting every effort to release the captive crew of
MSC Aries
, and for "enhanced military presence, missions and patrols in the region to protect seafarers".
[24]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Amid rising tension, Iran's troops raid Israel-linked ship near UAE: Report"
.
Business Standard
. Associated Press. 13 April 2024
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
Howard, Gary (13 April 2024).
"Iran seizes large container ship MSC Aries in Strait of Hormuz"
.
Seatrade Maritime News
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
a
b
Hand, Marcus (14 April 2024).
"US and UK call for immediate release of MSC Aries seized by Iran"
.
Seatrade Maritime News
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
Schuetze, Christopher F. (13 April 2024).
"Iran Seizes Commercial Ship Linked to Israel"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
"17 Indians among 25 crew on ship seized by Iran; India in touch with Iran to secure release of Indians"
.
The Economic Times
. 14 April 2024
. Retrieved
18 April
2024
.
- ^
"US Navy says it prevented Iran from seizing tankers in Gulf of Oman"
.
Reuters
. 6 July 2023
. Retrieved
18 April
2024
.
- ^
Frantzman, Seth J. (29 April 2023).
"Iran continues piracy against foreign vessels ? analysis"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
Guilfoyle, Douglas, ed. (30 April 2013). "Chapter 14: Policy tensions and the legal regime governing piracy".
Modern Piracy: Legal Challenges and Responses
. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 325?366.
ISBN
9781849804844
.
- ^
"Code of Practice for the Investigation of Crimes of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships"
(PDF)
. International Maritime Organization. 2019
. Retrieved
24 March
2020
.
- ^
Karnitschnig, Matthew (11 January 2024).
"On Hamas, what did Qatar know and when did it know it?"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
Mounier, Jean-Luc (14 October 2023).
"Qatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: Hamas's network of allies"
.
France 24
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
"Biden predicts impending Iranian attack on Israel as nations brace for regional escalation"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. 12 April 2024
. Retrieved
14 April
2024
.
- ^
"MSC Aries"
.
VesselFinder.com
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
a
b
"Iran says MSC Aries vessel seized for 'violating maritime laws'
"
.
Reuters
. 15 April 2024
. Retrieved
18 April
2024
.
- ^
Pita, Antonio; Bronte, Trinidad Deiros (13 April 2024).
"Iranian forces seize ship linked to Israeli businessman in Strait of Hormuz"
.
El Pais
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
"Israeli Army Warns Of "Consequences" After Iran Seizes Ship Off UAE Coast"
.
NDTV
. Agence France-Presse
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
"Iran committing piracy, Israeli foreign minister says"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. Reuters. 13 April 2024
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
"17 Indians among 25 crew onboard Israel-linked cargo vessel seized by Iran"
.
The Hindu
. 13 April 2024
. Retrieved
14 April
2024
.
- ^
"Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship to be released"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
27 April
2024
.
- ^
"Houthis Attack MSC Vessel in Indian Ocean"
.
Sourcing Journal
. Retrieved
1 May
2024
.
- ^
"Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship freed"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. 3 May 2024
. Retrieved
3 May
2024
.
- ^
Eichner, Itamar; Ben-Ari, Lior (13 April 2024).
"?? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ???????? ?? ??????. ???? ???????: "????? ???????"
"
[The Foreign Minister called for sanctions to be imposed on Iran after the seizure of the ship. Advisor to Khamenei: "Israel is in a panic"].
Ynet
(in Hebrew)
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
Adelson, Daniel (13 April 2024).
"????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???????. ???? ???? ?? ??????: "?????? ?????? ?????"
"
[Biden cuts his vacation short amid fears of Iranian retaliation. Gallant talked to Austin: "We added new capabilities"].
Ynet
(in Hebrew)
. Retrieved
13 April
2024
.
- ^
"Industry appeals to UN over MSC Aries seizure"
.
SeatradeMarine News
. Retrieved
4 May
2024
.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2024
|
---|
Shipwrecks
| |
---|
Other incidents
| |
---|
|