Zodiac Maritime Ltd is an international ship management company that owns and charters out large vessels.[1] It is part of Ofer Global based in Monaco and chaired by Eyal Ofer.[2] It has a long-standing business relationship with Mediterranean Shipping Company.
In 2012, ZM owned the MSC Napoli, the container ship that ran into difficulty in the English Channel.[5][6]
According to a 2014 analysis conducted by Globes, the companies of the Zodiac group generated together an operating profit of just over $1.5 billion in 2003–12, with an operating profit margin of 39%, and a 0.49% tax rate on profits.[7]
In July 2014, Eyal Ofer, the principal of Zodiac Group, received an honorary life membership of the Baltic Exchange for his contribution to shipping in the UK and global maritime trade.[8] Later that year, he was named in the top 10 most influential people in the shipping industry according to Lloyds List 2014.[9]
Iran has persistently attacked various vessels and seized ships amidst political issues since 2019.[10][11]
On 13 April 2024, the IRGC Navy seized Portuguese-flagged container ship MSC Aries[17] in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, then steered the container ship through the Strait of Hormuz.[10]
claiming that it had violated maritime laws.[18]MSC Aries is leased by MSC from Gortal Shipping Inc., which is an affiliate of Zodiac.[18]