An Israeli company … Details of the mysterious explosion of a merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman

Dryad Global, a company specialized in maritime security, announced that the merchant vessel that was exposed to an explosion in the Gulf of Oman today belongs to an Israeli company.
Dryad Global reported that the affected cargo ship is sailing under the Bahamas flag and named MV HELIOS RAY, which is a subsidiary of Israeli company Helios Ray Ltd registered in the British Isle of Man.

The Associated Press confirmed the validity of this information, citing a private security source.

Dryad Global indicated that the vessel was en route to Singapore from Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

For its part, international shipping data indicate that this ship is affiliated with Ray Shipping Ltd., based in Tel Aviv, and was founded by businessman Avraham Ungar known as “Rami”, one of the richest in Israel.

And the Israeli Ministry of Transport announced that it had no information about an incident involving an Israeli ship in the Gulf of Oman.

MarineTraffic.com data for the monitoring of maritime traffic shows that the ship was about to enter the Arabian Sea at 6 o’clock in the morning GMT, then suddenly changed its course and headed back towards the Strait of Hormuz.

The “Associated Press” quoted US defense officials as confirming that the explosion left two holes on the left side of the ship and two other holes on the right side above the waterline. Mystery still surrounds the cause of the accident.

Dryad Global, in its incident statement, suggested that Iranian forces were behind the explosion.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Authority (UKMTO) has confirmed that the damaged vessel is safe and its crew is in good condition, and is heading to the nearest port.

This comes within a series of mysterious accidents involving merchant ships in the region in recent years.

Source: Associated Press + Reuters