On Saturday, a video surfaced showing commandos raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter. A Mideast defense official attributed this attack to Iran, amidst wider tensions between Tehran and the West. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had previously reported the incident, describing the vessel as being “seized by regional authorities” in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah.

The defense official, speaking anonymously to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with The Associated Press. In the video, commandos can be seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers on the ship’s deck. A crew member on board can be heard cautioning his colleagues to stay put and head to the ship’s bridge, as more commandos descend onto the deck, with one providing potential cover fire.

While the authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified, it aligned with known details of the boarding operation. The helicopter used in the raid appeared to belong to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has conducted similar ship raids in the past.

The vessel in question is believed to be the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime, a part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac Maritime and MSC did not provide immediate responses for comment. The MSC Aries was last traced off Dubai heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, eventually turning off its tracking data, a common practice for Israeli-affiliated ships in the region.

The raid comes in the midst of increased tensions between Iran and Western nations, especially following a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Syria. Israel is on high alert as U.S. officials anticipate the potential of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a previous strike that resulted in the deaths of seven Iranian military officers.

Further complicating the situation is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Despite no immediate acknowledgment from Iran on seizing the vessel, the country has been linked to past ship seizures and attacks on vessels, primarily stemming from tensions over its nuclear program.

The Gulf of Oman, situated near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, is a crucial passageway through which a substantial amount of global oil trade flows. Fujairah, a significant port on the UAE’s eastern coast, serves as a hub for ships to load oil cargo, restock supplies, and swap out crew members.

Incidents in the waters off Fujairah have been occurring since 2019, with reports of explosions and hijackings. The U.S. Navy has previously accused Iran of conducting limpet mine attacks on tankers in the region. The latest raid on the ship near the Strait of Hormuz only adds to the volatility and uncertainty in the already tense region.