US, UK Call On Iran to Release Israel-linked Ship

In a post on social media platform X, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson “strongly condemned” the seizure and called on Iran to release the vessel “immediately”.

The UK reacted as well. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, on his X account, called the seizure “unacceptable” and demanded “the unconditional release” of the vessel.

The British minister claimed that his country is working with “partners to prevent escalation in the Middle East”.

The  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC's) seizure of MCS Aries, a Portuguese flagged cargo ship operated by the Zodiac Maritime Shipping Company that is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over the regime’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1.