Israeli-owned cargo ship rocked by explosion in Gulf of Oman
The blast came just hours after US airstrikes hit an Iran-linked militia in Syria
An Israeli-owned cargo ship suffered at least one explosion while sailing in the Gulf of Oman on Friday in the latest such maritime incident in the Middle East.
The vessel, the MV Helios Ray, quickly turned around and headed for port around 1 a.m. morning after departing from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The crew reported no injuries and the vessel continues to sail back toward the strait, according to an open-source maritime tracking website. It was believe that the vehicle carrier was headed to Dubai to assess the damage.
Reuters reported that an explosion above the ship’s water line caused holes in both sides of its hull, but that the vessel and crew were safe.
The ship is owned by the Tel Aviv-based Ray Shipping company, whose head, Rami Ungar, has ties to Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, Israel’s Kan broadcaster reported, without naming sources.
