• Home
  • Subscribe
  • Donate to Tikun Olam
  • Comment Rules
  • Contact
  • About

Tikun Olam תיקון עולם

Breaking news on the Israeli national security state

Israeli Shipping Company Operates Vessel Attacked by Iran Ofer Brothers Routinely Violated Sanctions by Trading With Iran, Assisting Mossad Spy Operations There

August 3, 2021 by Richard Silverstein

514 shares
  • Twitter
  • Facebook465
  • Email
  • Reddit49
  • Buffer
iran attack oil tanker

Israeli-operated tanker, Mercer Street, after Iranian attack

The ship which Iran attacked near Oman a few days ago is operated by the Israeli company, Zodiac Maritime, in which the oligarch Ofer family has a major interest. It owns Zim Lines and associated shipping interests and until 2011, itself traded with Iran, despite international sanctions prohibiting such commerce.

Among other products, Ofer ships shipped Iranian oil, enabling it to obtain desperately needed foreign currency to float its economy.  While such business dealings may have been profitable for the company, there was an even more compelling reason to deal with Iran: Mossad boss, Meir Dagan, asked him to.  Tikun Olam broke this story as well, which was banned from publication by the military censor. At the time, my source was confidential. But since his death, I can report it was former defense minister, Binyamin Ben Eliezer.

It was vital for the Israeli spy agency to have access to Iranian ports (in English) in order to conduct sabotage and espionage operations there, which included murdering nuclear scientists and sabotaging IRG missile bases, among other things.  Israel agents and equipment were delivered there by Ofer vessels.

In fact, news reports at the time offered the bizarre claim that three of the Mossad agents involved in the plot to murder Mahmoud al Mabouh in Dubai in 2010 escaped via ship to Iran.  It would seem highly likely they did so in an Ofer ship.

But this derring-do on the high seas came to an abrupt end when the US Treasury put the company on its sanctions black list, which named and shamed companies who were violating international sanctions. Ofer stopped its Iran trade and was removed from the US list.

Now, Iran has repaid the company in kind by targeting its ship and killing two of its crew. The attack by a suicide drone seems designed to escalate the maritime tit-for-tat sabotage campaign by Iran and Israel against each other’s ocean-going cargo ships.

In one such attack,  Israeli naval commandos exploded a mine on the hull of an Iranian oil tanker in the Mediterranean.   The damage was far more severe than the Israeli military expected and the resulting oil spill caused an environmental catastrophe on Israel’s beaches.  I broke this story based on a confidential Israeli source. There likely was a gag order on reporting this in the Israeli media.

With the inauguration of Iran’s new hard line president, and the failing prospects of renewing the JCPOA nuclear deal, it would seem that the attack was meant as a deliberate escalation in hostilities between Iran and its Israeli-US rivals. Pres. Raisi seems intent on conveying a strong message: whatever you may have thought of Rouhani,  he was a walk in the park compared to what I will be.  Nor do Biden threats to impose harsher sanctions move him: been there, done that, the new Iranian leaders seem to be saying.

Thankfully, Israel’s new government seems not to have quite the appetite for terror attacks as its predecessors. Instead of immediately bombing an Iranian communications vessel as Netanyahu did a few months ago or killing a nuclear scientist, Prime Minister Bennett has appealed to the US and Britain to support it in demanding action by the UN Security Council. That’s not to say that Bennett won’t make such an aggressive response at some point. But at least he starts off with diplomacy instead of the braggadocio and bellicosity for which Netanyahu was known.

0 0 votes
Article Rating

Related

Filed Under: Mideast Peace, Technology-Security Tagged With: iran sanctions, meir dagan, oligarchs

19 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jack Hoffman
Jack Hoffman
August 4, 2021 9:57 AM

[comment deleted: This is off topic and a comment rule violation. Comments must be directly related to the specific topic of the post. You are on notice. Your next violation will lead to moderation.]

-1
Jack Hoffman
Jack Hoffman
August 4, 2021 9:52 PM

Why not just admit the obvious, that Iran is ‘slow walking’ these talks until she reaches her nuclear breakout point.

-3
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  Jack Hoffman
August 5, 2021 11:35 AM

@ Jack Hoffman: Read the comment rules, buddy. Do not offer opinions. Offer facts or statements based on credible evidence. There is absolutely no evidence Iran’s goal is “reaching a breakout point.” None. Nor is this anywhere near “obvious.” You’re right on the edge fella.

-1
nessim dayan
nessim dayan
August 5, 2021 9:06 AM

in their own genius mind , they will reply that their doing is only karma and never revenge
it would be funny if their tools weren’t so life threatening.

-6
nessim dayan
nessim dayan
August 5, 2021 9:19 AM

now that there is a “working” gov. and it seems they all are keeping their noses very close to their grindstones, there are a lot more news about all things irani than all things israeli. har har
there is little coming from ultra busy norwegian gov and whats really interesting is under gag
you and forbidden stories are keeping us up to date

-2
nessim dayan
nessim dayan
August 6, 2021 2:33 AM

mr richard. no country has dedicated so much of its economy and resources just for the glory of uranium enrichment for medical or scientific endeavors.
their propaganda has been to purport that their endgame is non military and yet how do you explain the time and again when their desire to import xerox based detonators were foiled.
its like you buy a turkey chick you put a big chunk of your paycheck to grow it so that it appears to be THE thanksgiving contender by the sheer size and meat tenderized ONLY to brag you will not wind up eating it.
to keep scaring the entire region and beyond about your obsession and wind up not doing it would be the greatest face losing strategy ever.
what non military equipment could they not buy at lesser cost even in this direction they would have sufficient expertisewhile getting the manufacturing up and running.
their dual route peaceful experiment propaganda and military attitude in deeds just dont gibe.
at this moment you have to accept the old, if it walks like a duck if it quacks like a duck then it is a ….. sadly that is their finish goal

-6
אלי גל
אלי גל
August 6, 2021 10:37 AM

“…At the time, my source was confidential. But since his death, I can report it was former defense minister, Binyamin Ben Eliezer…”

Richard: Seriously? Did Fuad leak such information to you?
I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, as the only thing that saved him from a jail sentence for taking bribes was having been called for a meeting with the angels.

-3
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  אלי גל
August 6, 2021 11:20 AM

@ Eli Gal: First, Israel is one of the most corrupt OECD countries. Corruption is rampant from the prime minister down to the person on the street. The powerful never get caught because they’re greased the skids and have connections to avoid getting into hot water. Fuad was my main source for several years, long before he was accused of corruption. Whether he committed a crime or not has nothing to do with the credibility of his information, whose accuracy was proven time and again. Finally, Fuad was never charged with a crime, never tried, never convicted. There is a presumption of innocence in country’s observing the rule of law. If you want to convict him before any of these processes play out, fine. Just admit you live in a dictatorship where anyone can say anything about anyone else and have it accepted as fact.

2
אלי גל
אלי גל
Reply to  Richard Silverstein
August 6, 2021 11:32 AM

“…Fuad was my main source for several years…”

Richard: that is definitely a bombshell. Did he give any reason for having done so, or do you have any idea?

0
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  אלי גל
August 7, 2021 10:29 AM

@ Eli Gal: I think partly Fuad loved to talk. He was a source for others as well. But many of the things he knew could not be published in Israel because of censorship or gag orders. I think I was a convenient way to get the information into the public domain by avoiding those obstacles.

0
Ock
Ock
Reply to  Richard Silverstein
August 8, 2021 2:51 AM

Richard, based on your logic, bibi is innocent too

0
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  Ock
August 8, 2021 10:59 PM

@ Ock: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

0
Ock
Ock
Reply to  Richard Silverstein
August 10, 2021 2:28 AM

Finally, Fuad was never charged with a crime, never tried, never convicted. There is a presumption of innocence in country’s observing the rule of law. If you want to convict him before any of these processes play out, fine. Just admit you live in a dictatorship where anyone can say anything about anyone else and have it accepted as fact.

0
K.C.
K.C.
August 7, 2021 7:19 AM

Iran rams a drone into the bridge of this ship and murders two crewmen, and all you can talk about are the Ofer brothers, one of whom already died of old age.

The dead crewmen were a Briton and a Romanian.
Probably family men too, murdered in cold blood because some mullah in Iran needed a diaper change.

-4
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  K.C.
August 7, 2021 10:45 AM

@ KC: How many Iranians are dead as a result of Israel invading Iranian territorial sovereignty and international law and attacking its scientists and military personnel? The number of dead is in the scores, if not hundreds. So while normally I would decry such maritime attacks, Israel started this covert war and Iran has every right to respond. So if you want to cry crpcpdo;e tears over people you couldn’t care less about except as pawns in an Israeli game of chicken, be my guest.

As for the Ofer Brothers, some of the richest oligarchs in Israel. And I should feel sympathy for them because one of them died? Who are you kiddin’??

3
K.C.
K.C.
Reply to  Richard Silverstein
August 7, 2021 11:40 AM

The Fiji Sun named the man as Fijian-born former British Army veteran Adrian Underwood. Underwood worked as a security contractor.

https://fijisun.com.fj/2021/08/02/former-fiji-citizen-dies-in-suspected-drone-attack-off-the-coast-of-oman/

I will try to find out the name of the Romanian Ship’s Master who also died.

-2
Richard Silverstein
Richard Silverstein
Admin
Reply to  K.C.
August 7, 2021 1:41 PM

@ KC: No you won’t. Unless you also do the same for every Iranian assassinated or killed by Israeli sabotage of Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.

You will not publish another comment in this thread.

1
אלי גל
אלי גל
Reply to  Richard Silverstein
August 7, 2021 3:02 PM

[comment deleted: comments must be on-topic–directly related to the subject of the post.]

0
Jack Hoffman
Jack Hoffman
August 7, 2021 11:14 PM

[comment deleted: You are already moderated. Now you are banned. Comparing Iran to Nazis is not acceptable here.]

-2
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

Donate via Mightycause

Donate via Paypal

Recent Posts

  • Terror, Religion and Politics in Israel: a Toxic Brew
  • Cycle of Blood: Jerusalem Attacker’s Palestinian Grandfather, Murdered by Jewish Terrorist
  • Bibi Fiddles While Jenin Burns
  • Leading Israeli Security Think Tank Warns of End of US-Israel “Special Relationship”
  • IDF Snipers Murder Palestinian Boys

Search

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit

Categories

Archives

Pages

  • Photo Gallery
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Publications (author page)

  • Middle East Eye
  • The Nation Magazine
  • Al Jazeera
  • Jacobin
  • New Arab
  • Comment is Free
  • Mint Press News
  • Truthout
  • Seattle Times

Mideast Peace

  • Visualizing Paiestine
  • If Not Now
  • Achvat Achim
  • The New Arab
  • Penjihad's Blog
  • Jewish Voice for Peace
  • Shomrim
  • A Land for All
  • Levantine Center
  • A Garment of Destiny

Progressive Media

  • Global Voices
  • Scheer Post
  • Canadian Dimension
  • Jewish Voice for Labour
  • Challenging Christian Zionism
  • Vashti Media
  • Contrary Perspective

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Tikun Olam is fiscally sponsored by Media Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Be a Mensch: Support Tikun Olam!

Thanks for visiting Tikun Olam. It breaks exclusive stories on Israel-Palestine, often not yet published anywhere, including Israel. Please subscribe to new posts–and tell all your friends!

Support my unique work with a tax-deductible donation to Media Alliance, my fiscal sponsor.

You are going to send email to

Move Comment