MSC ARIES Seizure by Iran Sparks Fears of Escalating Conflict in Middle East
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy seized the MSC ARIES container ship, reportedly linked to Israel, near the Strait of Hormuz
All twenty-five sailors, including eight Bulgarians, aboard the UK-flagged cargo ship, which was seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia late on Friday, are in good health.
This has been announced by London-based Zodiac Maritime Agencies, who were contacted by the sailors to say they are feeling well and have sufficient food and drink. The information was confirmed by Prodan Radanov, representative of the company in Bulgaria.
Meanwhile the Somali pirates distributed photos of the seized sailors aboard “Asian glory”.
"The Asian Glory," which was transporting cars from Singapore to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, was seized about 600 miles east of the Somali coast before it could join a convoy. The ship’s payload can be up to 4,000 cars.
Another British-flagged ship with five Bulgarians onboard, the chemical tanker "St James Park," was seized on Monday in the Gulf of Aden.
London-based Zodiac Maritime Agencies manage both ships but the company says there is no other connection between the hijackings which it described as a case of lightning striking the same place twice.
Although the location of the seized vessels is well known, they can all be seen anchored off the Somali coast, experts say it would be impossible to liberate the hostages without severe loss of life.
"If the pirates are already on board, then there is not much that we can do - if you value the lives of the hostages," Commander Pieter Bindt, head of the EU's anti-piracy taskforce, NavFor, said.
In the past, heavy ransoms amounting to millions have been paid for hijacked ships.
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