An Iranian-flagged ship was struck by a missile in the Red Sea off the coast of Eritrea, foreign media reported on Tuesday.
Officially, Iran says the ship "Saviz" is used for commercial purposes but according to international media reports, it serves the Revolutionary Guards as an intelligence-gathering vessel and guarding oil shipments in the Red Sea.
The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel said that "Israel might have been involved in the attack."
Israel's defense establishment so far remains mum in regard to the attack.
This may sign an escalation in the IDF's response actions against the Islamic Republic after two Israeli-owned cargo vessels have been attacked in recent months.
The Israeli Navy has ramped up its maritime presence in the Red Sea, deploying missile cutters and submarines to the area.
Late last months, Channel 12 reported that Iran fired a missile at an Israeli-owned ship in the Arabian Sea.
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Helios Rays — a cargo ship attacked by Iran in February according to Israel
(Photo: Aurora Intel)
The container ship, which was said to be on its way from Tanzania to India, was hit by a small projectile and sustained minimal damage, Channel 12 said. The ship was identified as the LORI, which is owned by Israeli businessman Udi Angel and is registered in Liberia.
In February, Israel claimed Iran was behind an attack on Helios Rays — ship owned by Israeli businessman Rami Unger off the shores of Oman.