AN Israeli-owned ship hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman strategic waterway arrived yesterday at a port in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where it is due to be assessed in dry dock.

The MV Helios Ray, a vehicle-carrier ship, was hit overnight between Thursday and Friday by a blast above the water line that a U.S. defense official said ripped holes in both sides of its hull.

Israel’s defense minister said Saturday that an initial assessment had found that Iran was responsible for the explosion. There was no immediate comment from Iranian officials.

The blue and white ship is now berthed in Dubai’s Port Rashid, having sailed from its position off the coast of Omani capital Muscat, where the explosion occurred.

The Gulf of Oman links to Gulf waters via the strategically important Hormuz Strait, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman.

An Israeli delegation was en route to Dubai to investigate the incident.

The MV Helios Ray is owned by Tel Aviv-based Ray Shipping Ltd. through a company registered in the Isle of Man, a U.N. shipping database shows.

Tensions have risen in the Gulf region since the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.(SD-Agencies)