U.S. and Iranian officials on Tuesday attacked an Iranian ship used by Iran’s military force near Saudi Yemeni waters in an apparent escalation into a conflict between Iran and its local enemies.
The attack on the Saviz, believed by U.S. officials and others in the region to be used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Corps for intelligence, was launched in the Red Sea on Tuesday. The attack comes after international talks to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and the US in Vienna.
The attack came after revelations last month, The Wall Street Journal reported, that Israel has been targeting ships carrying fuel and weapons from Iran to Syria for the past 18 months. According to the Journal report, at least a dozen ships were targeted.
It was not yet clear who attacked the Saviz. Israeli officials declined to comment.
“We are aware of the media reports about an incident with the Saviz in the Red Sea,” a Pentagon spokesman said. “We can confirm that no US troops were involved in the incident. We have no additional information to provide. ”