“Iran Seeks $170M Penalty for Ship Tied to Israel”

Iran is seeking a $170 million penalty from the individual who owns a cargo ship that was captured in Gulf waters last year and suspected of having connections to Israel, as per a statement from a legal official. The MSC Aries was apprehended in April of 2024 by the Revolutionary Guards, the militant division of Iran’s armed forces, and the vessel’s 25 crew members from various countries were detained. The official IRNA news agency previously mentioned that the ship, which bears a Portuguese flag, was “operated by Zodiac, linked to the Zionist businessman Eyal Ofer.” Recently, a spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary named Asghar Jahangir revealed that charges had been submitted and the matter was under court review, without any trial date scheduled yet. Jahangir stated, “A sum of $170 million has been requested from the ship’s owner, who is of Israeli descent and stands accused of supporting terrorism.”