Iran Demands $170 Million Fine From Israeli Shipping Magnate After Seizing Cargo Ship

Iran has demanded a $170 million fine from Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, the owner of a cargo ship it seized in the Strait of Hormuz last year, accusing him of financing terrorism through his shipping activities.

According to Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, charges have been filed and the case has been brought before the court, though no trial date has been announced yet.

Jahangir said the fine equals the value of the seized ship, excluding its cargo, and added that Ofer was considered an “influential figure” within the Israeli government.

The vessel, MSC Aries, was intercepted on 13 April 2024 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch of Iran’s armed forces that operates under the direct authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Portuguese-flagged ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman near the Emirati port city of Fujairah, and its 25 international crew members were detained.

At the time of the seizure, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that the ship was managed by Zodiac Maritime, a London-headquartered firm linked to Ofer, describing him as a “Zionist capitalist.”

Zodiac Maritime later clarified that the vessel was owned by its affiliate, Gortal Shipping, and had been chartered on a long-term basis to Geneva-headquartered Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

Ofer, aged 75, is one of Israel’s most prominent businessmen, with an estimated net worth of $28.2 billion, according to Forbes. His business empire spans shipping, real estate, and finance.

The MSC Aries was last tracked off Dubai and was reportedly heading towards the Strait of Hormuz when it was detained. The ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) had been switched off at the time, a practice occasionally used by vessels linked to Israel while navigating through high-risk zones.

Video Credits: CNBC-TV18/YouTube

Footage from the incident showed IRGC commandos descending by helicopter onto containers stacked on the vessel’s deck.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that the ship had been “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman. The United States condemned the act as piracy and urged Iran to release the crew.

Israel’s foreign minister at the time called on the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, calling Iran a “criminal regime” that supports Hamas and violates international maritime law.

The crew members were later released, but Iran kept control of the ship.

Hours after the MSC Aries was seized, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, firing hundreds of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted by Israeli and allied defence systems.

This was not the first time Ofer-linked ships had been targeted by Iran. In February 2023, an oil tanker partially owned by him was struck by an Iranian suicide drone. Another tanker operated by his company was hit in August 2021, killing two crew members.

References: timesofisrael, moneycontrol

Source: Maritime Shipping News