An alleged Iranian spy ship was reportedly hit by a missile in the Red Sea, near the coast of Yemen. The site “Times of Israel” reports this, citing unconfirmed sources.
The «Saviz» – this is the name of the ship flying the Iranian flag – would be linked to the Guardians of the Revolution in Tehran.
According to Haaretz, it is an intelligence reconnaissance vessel linked to the Pasdaran. For the Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath, the attack “probably” is the result of an Israeli operation. The ship suffered “major” damage but did not sink.
Israeli public television Kan reported foreign information that the Saviz ship is acting as an “advanced command at sea” on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. It was in that stretch of sea – between Yemen and the Eritrean coast – as early as 2019, the broadcaster added.
According to initial information, all from Arab media, the Saviz was attacked this morning and suffered material damage. Israel is silent about the incident for now. But in a comment, the broadcaster nevertheless noted that the attack on Saviz comes at a time when Israel and Iran are conducting a remote confrontation on different sea routes.
The television added that the coincidence between the incident in the Red Sea and the start of talks on Iranian nuclear power in Vienna may not be accidental.
The Iranian boat struck in the Red Sea was defined in July 2018 by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy as a “support ship” that collected intelligence information for Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, at war against an Arab coalition led by Arabia. Saudi.
Recently the Wall Street Journal revealed that in the last two and a half years the sea has become a new front in the secret war between Israel and Iran: the Jewish state has carried out attacks, even with the use of naval mines, against at least one a dozen Iranian ships or ships linked to the Islamic Republic carrying mainly crude oil to Syria, in violation of international sanctions against Damascus.
Attempts by Tehran to get weapons to allies in the region have also been targeted by Israel. In recent months, attacks have also been recorded against two Israeli ships: at the end of March, a boat traveling from Tanzania to India was hit by a missile in the Arabian Sea; in February it was the turn of the MV Helios Ray, shaken by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman. The Islamic Republic has always denied any involvement.