An Israeli-owned ship called the Hyperion was attacked near the shores of the Fujairah emirate in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, according to reports in Lebanon. The attack came a day after Iran vowed to avenge the explosion at its Natanz nuclear facility, which it blamed on Israel.
Data available on MarineTraffic.com showed that the Hyperion, a vehicle carrier sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, was stopped off the coast of Fujairah. Arab media reports said that the ship was hit by an Iranian missile.
The vessel is associated with the Israeli Ray Shipping company, the same company that owns a vessel hit by an alleged Iranian attack in February.
Israeli media reported that the attack was likely carried out with a missile or drone and that only light damage was caused to the vessel.An Israeli security official told The New York Times on Tuesday that Israel did not intend to respond with another attack on an Iranian vessel, as Israelis is trying to reduce tensions in the Persian Gulf area.
The IDF declined to comment on the reports.
A representative of the owners of the ship released a statement saying, "Hyperion Ray incurred no damages and is continuing at full speed on its original voyage."
Despite increased tensions with Iran and a security cabinet meeting planned for next week, Attorney-General Avi Mandelblit banned the security cabinet from meeting until a justice minister is appointed, according to Israeli media.The attack comes just days after an alleged Israeli attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility and exactly a week after the Iranian Saviz ship was damaged in alleged Israeli attack in the Red Sea.
It also comes after two strikes against Israeli-owned vessels in the region and reports of dozens of earlier strikes carried out by Israel against Iran in locations ranging from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.Late last month, an Iranian missile was reportedly fired at an Israeli ship between India and Oman, striking and damaging it. In February, Iran allegedly attacked the Israeli-owned cargo vessel MV Helios Ray, which was damaged by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman.
According to reports, Israel notified the US that it was responsible for last week's attack on the Iranian cargo ship affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Saviz was lightly damaged in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti at about 6 a.m. on Tuesday due to an explosion, adding that the cause is under investigation.
The United States Naval Institute reported last year that the Saviz, while officially listed as a merchant ship, was likely a covert IRGC forward base. Tasnim confirmed this , saying that the ship had been stationed in the Red Sea in recent years to support Iranian commandos escorting commercial vessels.