The vessel’s beneficial owner is Zodiac Maritime Ltd., part of Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. No one responded to a call to Zodiac’s office in London, outside of normal business hours.
The vessel last called at the United Arab Emirates’ Khalifa Port and was sailing east toward the Strait of Hormuz as of Friday evening local time. Security and intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics said it received information of a “boarding” around 50 nautical miles northeast of the UAE’s Fujairah.
This is a nationstate using its uniformed military to conduct a military operation. It’s definitionally not “terrorism.” Israel broke worldwide treaties and norms that date back thousands of years when it targeted Iran’s embassy. I’m absolutely no fan of the regime in Tehran, but soon Tel Aviv is going to get what it deserves and it’s not going to be a small response.
Taking civilian hostages like Iran has just done breaks those same treaties and norms. How come they’re being praised for it?
If that’s the route you’re going with, the treaty was already broken by Israel’s unprovoked assault on the peace; slaughtering diplomatic staff and civilians without cause and violating not only the sovereignty of a free state, but also the Vienna Pact which has prevented untold conflict and suffering… This isn’t a line of argument you’re going to enjoy pursuing. I don’t think that you have remotely any concept of how big a deal a deliberate attack on an embassy is.
Except Israel targeted terrorists that were being harbored in that embassy. Has Iran made any statement about the military targets on board that ship?
That excuse opens a tremendous can of worms. Are US embassies fair game because they knowingly have CIA agents? Can the UK raid the Ecuador embassy because Julian Assange was inside?
No, embassies are considered sovereign territory and attacking one is like bombing the country itself. Israel knew this but was willing to start a war anyway.