Iran has demanded a $170 million fine from the owner of a cargo ship it seized in the Gulf last year, accusing the company of having ties to Israel. The vessel, MSC Aries, was intercepted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in April 2024, with its 25 international crew members detained.
At the time, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported that the Portuguese-flagged ship was “managed by Zodiac, owned by Zionist capitalist Eyal Ofer.”
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir confirmed on Tuesday, October 28, that legal proceedings had begun and the case was before the courts, though no trial date had been set. “A fine of $170 million has been demanded from its owner, of Israeli origin, accused of financing terrorism,” Jahangir stated.
The United States condemned the seizure at the time, describing it as an act of piracy and calling for the immediate release of the crew. Israel’s foreign minister also urged the European Union to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization in response.
Jahangir added that the vessel, excluding its cargo, was valued at approximately $170 million and described Ofer — an Israeli billionaire and shipping magnate — as an “influential figure” within the Israeli government.
The ship’s seizure occurred amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing Gaza conflict, which erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel and subsequently drew in Iran-backed militant groups.
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