Following the news about the seizure of the containership MSC Aries on 13 April, Swiss-based container carrier MSC published a statement about the ship's status.
The statement confirmed that Iranian forces seized the vessel, which is owned by Gortal Shipping Inc. and chartered by carrier MSC.
The ship was taken in the Strait of Hormuz while transiting international waters. According to the carrier, the 25-person crew is safe, and discussions with the Iranian authorities are ongoing to secure their earliest release.
Additionally, efforts are being made to have the cargo discharged.
Despite this incident, MSC said it "will continue to provide uninterrupted and regular service on the Himalaya Express and all other services operating in the region."
Seaexplorer data currently shows the ship in the Persian Gulf. However, it is important to note that no vessel tracking data has been available about the ship for over 24 hours.
The MSC Aries is a 14952-TEU ship built in 2020 and partially owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. It was deployed on MSC's Himalaya Express, a service connecting the Indian Subcontinent with the Mediterranean.
