Israel Strikes Iranian Naval Vessels on the Caspian Sea
The Israeli Defense Forces have attacked vessels at Bandar Anzali, a port on Iran's Caspian Sea coast, according to Israeli media and local bystander reports. It is the first strike in the area since the start of the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian conflict on February 28.
According to Israeli outlet i24, the strike targeted Iranian naval vessels, not merchant tonnage. CNN reporter Barak Ravid reports that more than five Iranian warships were targeted in the strike.
Israel has not formally confirmed the attack, but Defense Minister Israel Katz promised "significant surprises" in the conflict on Wednesday. On the same day, Israel also hit Iran's South Pars gas processing complex, the cornerstone if the Iranian power-generation system - prompting a fierce counterattack on Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG plant.
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Bandar Anzali is a known arms-trafficking hub for weapons shipments between Russia and Iran. The two countries have an extensive defense procurement relationship, trading drones, missiles and other advanced weapons systems for use in Russia's war in Ukraine and Iran's Mideast conflicts. Until now, it has remained largely untouched, though Ukraine has launched strikes on Iran-linked shipping on the Caspian before.
The strikes have raised questions about reported Russian supply lines for the Iranian military, particularly for Shahed-136-type attack drones. Iran originated this inexpensive, mass-production-ready design and sold it to Russia in the early days of the invasion of Ukraine; the Russian military is now supplying uprated, more accurate Shahed guidance components back to Iran for use against U.S. troops and other targets, according to the Wall Street Journal.