A story already seen, a new provocation on the external front: an Israeli cargo ship was hit by a drone while sailing in the Indian Ocean. The attack is not claimed for now, but is reminiscent of episodes attributed to Iranian and Yemeni Houti guerrillas.
The Malta-flagged vessel identified as Symi is owned by Eastern Pacific Shipping, a company with offices in Singapore and controlled by Israeli entrepreneur Idan Ofer. The freighter, which was leaving the Dubai area, was then attacked by a flying object that closely resembled a kamikaze model used by the Iranians. According to initial information, the impact caused a fire, but this had no consequences for the crew.
The dynamics and scene of the attack take us back to the past, when other units, always attributable to Israeli businessmen, came under fire through the use of unmanned aircraft. Recently, there was a seizure of a cargo ship near the coast of Yemen, which was boarded by the Houthis using a helicopter and speedboats. The movement allied with Tehran had announced operations against maritime traffic linked to the Jewish state in the Red Sea. Threat accompanied by missile and drone attacks on Eilat. The strategy is always part of the campaign to support Palestinians ordered by the Axis of Resistance, the large group of Shiite factions operating across the region.
Hence the bombing of US bases in Syria and Iraq, the rain of rockets from Lebanon, the operations of the Yemeni rebels and once again the challenge on key routes. In this distribution of roles coordinated by Tehran and its special apparatus, the militias move according to the moment and need. Lebanon’s Hezbollah has promised to comply with the ceasefire, while the other groups appear to have a free hand. What is special, however, is that the actions in the maritime sector took place long before the Gaza crisis and actually began without any direct connection to the Palestinian issue.
The first cases involved oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, events blamed on the rivalry between Iran and Sunni monarchies such as the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The second phase pitted the Iranians against the Israelis, with exchanges of fire involving cargo. With drone explosions, the use of explosive devices and probably special forces. Tehran would have used two installations as launch points for the drones: the first in Chabahar (southeastern region) and the second on the island of Qeshm, not far from the Strait of Hormuz.