Israel prime suspect in ‘terrorist’ attack on Iran cargo ship in Mediterranean: Source

The Israeli regime is the prime suspect in a terrorist attack on a cargo ship belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRIS) Group in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week, an informed source says.

“Given the geographical location of the ship and the way it was targeted, one of the strong possibilities is that this terrorist act was carried out by the Zionist regime (Israel),” the source told Nour News on Saturday.

Ali Ghiasi, the IRISL Group’s spokesman, told Nour News on Friday that one of its cargo ships had been damaged after it was targeted by a terrorist attack en route to Europe in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week.

He added that an explosion object had hit the container ship — identified as Shahr-e Kord — as it was traveling in the high seas on Wednesday.

The official said the vessel’s hull sustained slight damage, but those aboard were unharmed, noting that a small fire broke out in the aftermath of the explosion, which was quickly put out by the crew members.

In its Saturday report, Nour News spoke to a member of the technical team inspecting the damage to the vessel who said the explosive objects have hit a number of containers on the ship’s deck from a high altitude; therefore, it is likely that the explosive projectile have been fired from a flying object.  

Some Israeli media also reported on Friday that the Tel Aviv regime can be behind the terrorist attack.

Israeli officials did not provide comment when asked if Israel was involved in the Friday attack.

The timing of the attack came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that since 2019, Israel has been using naval weapons, including water mines, to strike vessels which were either Iranian, or carried Iranian cargo, as they made their way to Syria.

The Israeli attacks started in late 2019 and targeted both Iranian vessels, and other ships with Iranian cargo, the report claimed, citing “US and regional officials.”

Late last month, an Israeli-owned cargo ship said it had come under attack while it was in the Sea of Oman, claiming that it suffered holes in both sides of its hull.

The regime’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to blame Iran for the alleged incident, an accusation Tehran categorically rejected.

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in a letter to the UN Security Council that the incident “has all the characteristics of a complicated false flag operation by actors in order to pursue their malign policies and to advance their illegitimate objectives.”

‘Sabotage’ attack on Iran ship contravenes international law: Foreign ministry

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday condemned the “sabotage attack” against the container ship in the high seas.

“Reports confirm the sabotage attack on the ship, which is a blatant violation of the international law and the law of the sea,” Khatibzadeh said.

He added that the adoption of “necessary measures to identify the perpetrators of this sabotage act” and the necessary follow-ups to study various aspects of the incident are both on the agenda of the relevant bodies.