Defense Officials Believe Iran Behind Rocket Attack on Israeli Cargo Ship

An Israeli cargo ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday evening anchored in Dubai on Saturday. The ship, the MV Helios Ray, will remain in the port in the United Arab Emirates for repairs. Israeli defense officials flew to Dubai om Saturday to investigate the attack, Haaretz reported.

Senior defense officials in Israel have said that Iran was behind the attack, and that the Iranians knew the ship, which flies a Bahaman flag, is owned by an Israeli company. The ship was sailing in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz at the time of the attack. The fact that the ship was so close to Iran at the time of the attack is part of what has led to the assessment that it was hit by rockets fired from Iran, according to reports.

“We will need to keep investigating, but we can say for sure that Iran is attempting to damage Israeli infrastructure and to hurt Israeli citizens. The proximity to Iran leads to the assessment that there is a likelihood that this is an Iranian initiative. We are committed to continuing to check,” Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz told the Kan national broadcaster on Saturday.

Senior Israeli officials have told news outlets that Israel will retaliate.