(Bloomberg) —
An Iranian ship that’s been linked to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea is returning home, removing a prominent asset in the area as the Islamic Republic braces for a potential Israeli attack.
Behshad, which Iran calls an “intelligence and logistics” vessel, left its position near the coast of Yemen on April 4, then stopped broadcasting its location until it reappeared near the Strait of Hormuz early on April 18, according to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It’s signaling it will arrive at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port later Thursday.
The US has said Iran is “deeply involved” in the Houthi campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, an accusation that Tehran denies. Behshad in particular was the subject of a US cyberattack earlier this year for its alleged role in gathering intelligence for the attacks, NBC reported in February, citing three US officials. Analysts at EOS Risk Group and Dryad Global have also tied Behshad to the Houthi campaign.
Behshad’s redeployment came days after a suspected Israeli air strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1. Tehran responded last weekend with an unprecedented missile and drone attack on the Jewish state, and is now bracing for an Israeli response. The US is calling for restraint to avoid further escalation.
Iran’s state media hasen’t commented on Behshad’s latest movements and it’s not clear if the ship will return to the Gulf of Aden. It had been deployed there to replace another vessel, Saviz, which was damaged by limpet mines in 2021 during another bout of tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and Israel.
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
(Bloomberg) — The biggest labor union at South Africa’s state-owned port and rail company are starting final talks with a third-party arbitrator to resolve a wage dispute and stave off...
The US and China will temporarily lower tariffs on each other’s products in a dramatic ratcheting down of trade tensions that buys the world’s two largest economies three months to work toward a broader agreement.
Finland’s premier icebreaker designer, Aker Arctic, has been awarded a contract to develop a new state-of-the-art mid-size icebreaker. The effort is part of a major fleet renewal program to ready Finland's icebreaking fleet for the changing requirements in the Baltic Sea. The country is also part of the ICE Pact with Finnish yards looking to construct icebreakers for Canada and the U.S.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
