The vessel’s beneficial owner is Zodiac Maritime Ltd., part of Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. No one responded to a call to Zodiac’s office in London, outside of normal business hours.
The vessel last called at the United Arab Emirates’ Khalifa Port and was sailing east toward the Strait of Hormuz as of Friday evening local time. Security and intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics said it received information of a “boarding” around 50 nautical miles northeast of the UAE’s Fujairah.
In armed conflicts between nationstates, civilian infrastructure is often considered a legitimate military target due to it support of military assets and pursuits.