The war that Israel and Iran have waged on the seas since 2019 has escalated further. On Wednesday April 7, authorities in Tehran confirmed that one of their military ships, the Saviz, stationed for years in the Red Sea, off Yemen, had been damaged in an explosion the day before, without naming anyone responsible. News sites close to the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, have not hesitated to point the finger at Israel, their long-standing enemy and rival in the region. According to the Tasnim news agency, close to the guards, the Saviz was allegedly damaged by a mine attached to its hull.
No casualties are to be deplored and the damage is “Minors”, assured the spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, presenting the Saviz like a “Commercial vessel”. Iran keeps repeating that the ship is intervening in the fight against piracy in the Red Sea and in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, a crucial passage for international maritime transport. Its presence in the area is denounced by Saudi Arabia, engaged in a war against the Houthi rebellion in Yemen. Western allies in Riyadh and UN experts say Tehran is providing arms and support to the Houthis. However, in a report published in October 2020, the US Naval Institute describes the Saviz as a secret military ship operated by the Revolutionary Guards.
If the Iranian authorities did not designate a culprit, specifying that they would seize the international authorities, the national television, it, evoked an Israeli implication. As proof, she cited the statement made to New York Times by an American official, on condition of anonymity, according to which the Jewish state had notified Washington of this attack, after its implementation. The accusation was also brought by online media, including encrypted Telegram messaging, belonging to members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Campaign against Iranian expansionism
In response, the Israelis are sticking to their usual line. Tel Aviv has not confirmed the attack. “Israel must continue to defend itself. Where we find an operational challenge and where it is necessary, we will persist in acting ”Defense Minister Benny Gantz replied laconically. Tuesday’s attack may have been carried out in retaliation for that, a month apart, on two Israeli ships, the Helios-Ray, February 26, and Lori, in the Arabian Sea, on March 25. The Hebrew state immediately pointed the finger at Iran.
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