The Jerusalem Post

‘Iran struck Israeli vessel near Oman’

- • By EVE YOUNG Helios Ray. Tobias Siegal, Seth J. Frantzman and Reuters contribute­d to this report.

An Iranian missile was fired at an Israeli ship in the Arabian Sea, hitting and damaging it, N12 reported on Thursday.

The container ship owned by an Israeli businessma­n was making its way to Tanzania from India, it reported.

As the ship sailed between Indian and Oman, it was hit by a missile and damaged, the report said.

The incident was reported to Israeli security officials and to the ship’s owners. The ship will continue on its way to India, where the damage will be assessed, N12 reported.

Israeli security officials are examining the possible implicatio­ns of the incident and estimate that it could mean Iran intends to attack more Israeli ships, the report said.

The ship is owned by Haifa-based XT Management, it said.

Iran was also the main suspect behind an attack in February on the Israeli-owned cargo vessel MV Helios Ray, which was damaged by a mysterious explosion in the Gulf of Oman.

“We will need to keep investigat­ing, but we can say for sure that Iran is attempting to damage Israeli infrastruc­ture and to hurt Israeli citizens,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said at the time. The ship’s proximity to Iran during the incident has strengthen­ed the suspicions against Tehran, he told KAN Reshet Bet.

Earlier this month, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiee said Iran was seeking to “secure the open seas,” suggesting a potential threat to Israeli ships. He was noncommitt­al about Iran’s involvemen­t in the attack on the

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