An Israeli parliamentary committee will launch an investigation today into how a local shipping company blacklisted last week by the US State Department managed to trade with Iran in possible breach of Israeli law and international sanctions. According to the international shipping database Equasis, at least 13 ships owned by Israel's Ofer Group - owned by the colourful brothers Sammy and Yuli Ofer - have anchored in Iran over the past 10 years

There is a man-bites-dog quality to the imposition of American penalties on an Israeli conglomerate last week for allegedly selling an oil tanker to Iran. Bigger deals with Iran have been exposed, but what sets this apart is the Israeli connection. Since international sanctions target Iranian nuclear ambitions - which foremost constitute an existential danger to Israel - it s naturally unexpected and entirely more incongruous to find Israelis dealing with Iran than to find nationals of other countries.