TRIESTE – The container ship MSC Sariska V was hit by a cruise missile while sailing off the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. The attack, claimed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), caused no injuries among the crew but has brought the risks to commercial shipping in the Gulf area back into the spotlight.
According to the IRGC, as reported by Iran International, its navy struck the merchant vessel “in retaliation for a US military attack against the Gambian-flagged merchant vessel Lian Star, bound for Iran, in the Gulf of Oman”, describing the MSC Sariska V as a vessel belonging to the “American-Israeli enemy”. The explosion reportedly occurred about 40 nautical miles south-east of Umm Qasr, according to Ansa.
MSC confirmed that the vessel was hit by two projectiles. The first struck the ship while the pilot was still on board during its departure from the port, while a second hit the crew accommodation area shortly afterwards.
The company said that all seafarers were unharmed and stressed the professionalism shown by the crew in quickly securing the vessel and its cargo. In the statement issued from Geneva, MSC firmly rejected the accusations made by the IRGC, describing the attack as “entirely unjustified”. The group reiterated that it is a neutral commercial shipping company, with no affiliation to the United States or Israel.
The company also recalled that it was founded by Italian captain Gianluigi Aponte, is headquartered in Switzerland and is wholly controlled by his children Diego and Alexa Aponte, both Italian citizens.
MSC expressed deep concern over the risk that such incidents pose to the safety of seafarers and to the continuity of maritime trade in one of the most strategic areas for global commerce.
