An Iranian ship believed to be used by Iran’s military elite was attacked near Saudi-Yemeni waters on Tuesday, both US and Iranian officials said, in an apparent escalation of conflict between Iran and its regional enemies.
The Saviz’s attack, which US officials and others in the region said would be used for intelligence gathering by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was attacked in the Red Sea on Tuesday, officials said. The attack came as international talks began in Vienna to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and the US.
The attack came after revelations last month, reported by The Wall Street Journal, that Israel has targeted ships carrying fuel and weapons from Iran to Syria for the past 18 months. At least a dozen ships have been targeted, according to the Journal report.
It was not yet clear who attacked the Saviz. Israeli officials declined to comment.
“We are aware of media coverage of an incident involving the Saviz in the Red Sea,” said a Pentagon spokeswoman. “We can confirm that no US forces were involved in the incident. We do not need to provide additional information. “