An Iranian Shahed-136 drone is launched during a military exercise in Iran, December 2021. (Screenshot: Twitter)
A container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian suicide drone in the Indian Ocean, a United States defense official told the Associated Press on November 25.
The attack comes as Israel wages an unprecedented war on the Hamas Movement and other Palestinian armed factions in the Gaza Strip.
The unnamed official told the news agency that the Malta-flagged CMA CGM Symi was likely targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters on November 24. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the official said. The official declined to explain why the US military believed Iran was behind the attack.
Al-Mayadeen TV, which is allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group, reported earlier that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The news channel said that the attack took place a few hours before a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip agreed upon by Israel and Hamas came into effect. It cited anonymous sources for the report.
CMA CGM is a major shipper based in the French port city of Marseille. Meanwhile, the Symi is owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
The Iranian-backed Houthis (Ansar Allah) threatened to target Israeli owned or operated ships sailing near Yemen and in other areas after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. On November 19, vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar, was seized by the group.
It is very likely that the attack on CMA CGM Symi was carried out by the Houthis, who possess a version of the Iranian Shahed-136 drone known as Waied.
