The commercial container ship MSC ARIES, sailing under the Portuguese flag from the UAE to India, was captured by the Iranian Navy in the Strait of Hormuz. According to information from the Iranian state agency IRNA, troops from the Mi-17 helicopter successfully landed on board the ship. At the time of the hijacking, there were 25 crew members on board from Russia, India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Estonia.

The ship is owned by London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyel Ofer. This fact and the presence of Russian sailors from the Primorsky Territory among the crew attracts special attention.

At the moment, the exact number of Russians on board is being clarified, but their presence on the hijacked ship raises serious concerns at home. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the seizure of the vessel was in retaliation, implying that it belonged to Israel, although the vessel's flag belonged to Portugal.