An Iranian cargo ship believed to be a base for the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and anchored for years in the Red Sea off Yemen has been attacked, Iranian state television acknowledged Wednesday.
The state TV acknowledgment, citing foreign media, marks the first Iranian comment on the mysterious incident involving the MV Saviz. The ship's long presence in the region, repeatedly criticized by Saudi Arabia, has come as the West and United Nations experts say Iran has provided arms and support to Yemen's Houthi rebels amid that country's yearslong war.
Iran previously described the vessel as aiding in "anti-piracy" efforts in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial chokepoint in international shipping.