The United States conducted a cyberattack against an Iranian military vessel that was collecting and providing intelligence to Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen to assist them in attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The attack, which happened last week, was carried out, in part, in response to the three U.S. soldiers who were killed during a drone attack in Jordan late last month that wounded dozens more.
A U.S. official told NBC News that the ship was the MV Behshad, an Iranian military vessel that looks like a cargo ship that the Islamic country uses to “provide targeting information to the Houthis so their attacks on the ships can be more effective.”
The cyberattack was carried out with the goal of inhibiting the ship’s ability to share intelligence with the Houthis, the report said, adding that the U.S. rarely ever discusses covert missions with the media, including cyberattacks.
BREAKING: U.S. conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian spy ship
“The covert operation was intended to inhibit the ship’s ability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels who have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea.” pic.twitter.com/81XO9ZRd1t
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 15, 2024
Iran says that the ship is a “floating armory” and falsely claims that it only exists to “counteract piracy in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” according to a propaganda video published by Iran’s military.
“Those engaging in terrorist activities against the MV Behshad or similar vessels jeopardize international maritime routes, security and assume global responsibility for potential future international risks,” the video said.
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The ship is registered as a commercial cargo ship with an Iranian company that has been sanctioned by the U.S. for being a front for the country’s Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uses the ship as a front base in the region to collect and share intelligence with terrorists, according to CNN, which added that the ship was sanctioned under former President Donald Trump.