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Owner of Israeli-owned cargo ship damaged in Sea of Oman close to Mossad chief: Reports

This undated file picture shows Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Helios Ray. (Photo by MarineTraffic.com)

Reports have disclosed that the owner of a ship hit by an explosion in the Sea of Oman is Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar, who has close relationship with the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen.

Maritime security firm Dryad Global and a United Nations ship database identified owners of the Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV Helios Ray, as a Tel Aviv-based firm called Ray Shipping Ltd., which registered in the Isle of Man. 

On Saturday, Hebrew-language media outlets reported that Ungar, 74, who goes by “Rami,” is the founder of Ray Shipping Ltd., and is known as one of the richest men in Israel.

The outlets further highlighted that Ungar is close to the Israeli regime’s spymaster.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the MV Helios Ray was carrying vehicles. It was apparently en route to Singapore from Dammam in Saudi Arabia.

The UKMTO, which is run by the British navy, said on Friday an explosion struck the vessel near the strategic mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the UKMTO said, but gave no details about a possible cause.

Ray Shipping confirmed that one of its vessels carrying a “Bahamas flag” was damaged “when an explosion was heard in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz.”

“The ship has 28 crew members. No one was hurt. The engine room was not damaged. It is on its way to the port of Dubai to fix everything necessary,” the company told the Times of Israel English-language online newspaper.

Ungar said he did not know exactly what had hit the vessel, which had several holes.

“Israeli authorities will investigate this together with me,” he told the Israeli Ynet news website.

“I don’t think this deliberately targeted an Israeli-owned ship, that has not happened to me before.”

Israel did not immediately comment on the blast. Israel’s Transportation Ministry said it was not aware of the incident.


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