MSC confirms that yesterday its vessel, the MSC Sariska V, was struck by two projectiles in the port of Um-Qasr, Iraq. The first hit while the pilot was onboard as the vessel departed from port and a second impacted the crew area soon afterwards.

All crew members are safe, unharmed and acted with exceptional professionalism throughout the incident to secure the vessel, and its cargo. Based on local media reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for this attack in response to US actions on the vessel Lion Star.

This retaliatory action is completely unjustified based on the allegations made by the IRGC since MSC is a neutral commercial carrier with no affiliation to the United States or Israel. Founded by Italian national Captain Gianluigi Aponte, the company is headquartered and domiciled in Switzerland and is wholly owned by his children, Diego and Alexa Aponte, both Italian nationals with no other citizenship.

MSC is deeply concerned by these unprovoked attacks and the risk they create for its innocent seafarers, and essential maritime trade in the region.