Report: Israeli-owned cargo ship attacked by Iranian drone in Indian Ocean
The cargo ship, flying the flag of Malta but owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, was reportedly attacked by Iranian drone Shahed 136
The cargo ship CMA CGM Symi, owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, has reportedly been attacked by an armed Iranian drone of the Shahed 136 model during its journey in the Indian Ocean. The incident occurred while the ship was flying the flag of Malta, an American security official told the AP news agency. Although the vessel sustained damage, no casualties were reported.
The ship is under the ownership of Eastern Pacific Shipping, a company based in Singapore and controlled by Ofer. Despite the incident, neither the company nor the IDF has issued a response. A security source stated, "We continue to closely monitor the situation," without providing specific details on the intelligence gathered by the American military regarding Iranian involvement in the attack.
If the report proves accurate, the recent attack joins another incident that occurred in recent days against the backdrop of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. In the previous incident, the Houthi militant group from Yemen seized a ship owned by Israeli Rami Ungar's shipping company, Ray. This happened while the ship flew the flag of the Bahamas, with a crew of 22 individuals, all of whom are not Israeli. The concern in this situation doesn't arise from Israeli ownership of the transportation company but rather from the potential scenario wherein a ship transporting cargo valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, could face hijacking en route to Israel due to suspicions linked to Israeli ownership.
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In a report affiliated with terrorist organization Hezbollah, Al-Mayadeen channel stated that an "Israeli vessel" was attacked in the Indian Ocean. This report was based on several anonymous sources.
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) of the ship had been turned off since Tuesday when it departed from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, according to the AP report. Ships are supposed to activate the system for security reasons, but the crew turns it off if it appears to be a target for an attack. They did so earlier when navigating the Red Sea near Yemen, where Houthi rebels are located.
"The attack likely occurred due to the ship's Israeli connection," stated the private intelligence company Ambrey, "the ship's AIS had been off days before the incident, indicating that this step alone does not prevent attacks."
