TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – An Iranian cargo ship was the target of a “terrorist attack” in the Mediterranean Sea, the country’s state TV reported on Friday. There were no casualties in the blast, the report said.
The report quoted Ali Ghiasian, a spokesman for the state-owned shipping company, as saying Wednesday’s attack damaged the Shahr-e Kord, a commercial ship traveling to Europe. Ghiasian said an “explosive device” damaged the ship’s hull and caused a small fire that was quickly extinguished.
Ghiasian said that such acts of terrorism and cases of piracy are contrary to international regulations. He said that “the legal action against the perpetrators of this terrorist action will be carried out through competent international organizations”.
The report said the ship would continue on its way after a damage assessment, without providing further details. He did not blame anyone for the attack.
Earlier this week, Israel accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of attaching an explosive device to the Israeli-owned Helios Ray cargo ship in international waters near the Gulf of Oman in February. The ship was on its way from Saudi Arabia to Singapore. Israel said the explosion caused “serious damage, forcing the ship to return to Dubai port to ensure the safety of the crew”.
Iran, which does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli militant groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas, dismissed the claim as baseless.
Also on Friday, Iranian general Esmail Ghaani, head of the Quds Force, his foreign wing of the Revolutionary Guard, warned that Tehran would “destroy the wall”, referring to Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank. Iranian authorities are known to call for Israel’s destruction if it attacks Iran.
Israel accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Earlier this week, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told the American cable network Fox News that his country is updating contingency plans to attack Iranian targets if Tehran shows signs of a nuclear escalation.
Iran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Unlike Iran, Israel’s atomic program, which is widely believed to include an undeclared nuclear bomb program, is not monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog.