Iran Targets “Israeli” Containership After Lull in Maritime Attacks
Around the same time the Iranians hit the Kuwaiti tanker in a headline-grabbing incident, the IRGC claims it also targeted an “Israeli” containership. Details of the Iranian propaganda claim of a direct hit align with the reports of a near miss received by UK Maritime Trade Operations.
The containership, identified as the Express Rome (122,961 dwt) by Vanguard Tech, reported that two unknown projectiles splashed near the ship. It said the two incidents were within an hour of each other on March 30. The company security officer told UKMTO that the crew was safe.
The incident was reported approximately 22 nautical miles from Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, on the Persian Gulf near Dammam and north of Bahrain. AIS data reports the ship was traveling from Khalifa in the UAE.
The IRGC claim associated the ship with Israel, although it confirmed the ship was “navigating under a third country’s flag.” It was the second time the IRGC claimed to have targeted the same vessel, with an earlier report on March 11, when it again said it damaged the ship.
It is unclear why the Iranians are associating this vessel with Israel. Its registered owner is Danos Group of Greece, which has been running the ship for years under various charters. It has been in the Liberian registry for years. Built in 2011, it has a capacity of just over 10,000 TEU. Prior to its current operations, it was sailing for South Korea’s Hanjin.
The attack followed a nine-day lull, points out Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group. The targeting of the containership was followed by the report of a hit on the Kuwaiti tankerAl Salm, laden and anchored off Dubai.
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Iran’s Tasnim News Agency announced the maritime attacks as part of a larger “88th wave” of its offensive actions. There were reports that Iran struck Kuwait’s desalination plant, and debris also hit an oil storage tank in the Port of Haifa. Iran also claimed widespread attacks on U.S. and Israeli military positions.
It came as the United States and Israel unleashed large strikes, including the use of 2,000-pound bunker busters on a munitions storage and missile launch area near Isfahan, which is also part of Iran’s nuclear program. Videos reposted by Donald Trump showed massive explosions.
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