IDF Confirms Ship Climbing In Red Sea, Prime Minister Netanyahu Office Blames Iran

Galaxy Leader ship. (Source: MarineTraffic/Owen Foley)

JAKARTA - The Israeli military confirmed the hijacking of ships in the Red Sea but said ships hijacked by the Houthi group were not owned by the country, while Prime Minister Netanyahu's office blamed Iran.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the hijacking of ships in the Red Sea was a very serious incident on a global scale.

It said the Galaxy Leader sailed from Turkey to India with international civilian crews, without any Israeli nationals on board.

"It's not an Israeli ship," the IDF said.

The Bahamas-flagged ship is listed under a British company, partly owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar or known as Rami. The ship was leased to a Japanese company at the time of piracy.

Previously, Iran-backed Houthi groups had pledged to target Israeli-related ships in the Red Sea.

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office blamed Iran for the incident.

"This is an act of Iranian terrorism that shows a leap forward in Iran's aggression against citizens of the free world, and creates international implications for the security of global shipping routes," the statement said.