Iran warns US not to attack Tehran's 'spy ships' in Red Sea 'with terrorist army on board' after attack in Yemen
IRAN sent a chilling warning to the US after last night's attacks in Yemen, telling them to leave Iranian spy ships alone in the Red Sea.
The two cargo ships are believed to be carrying IRGC commandos, which serve as a military base Tehran's twisted terrorist army.
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The US and Britain last night targeted the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen – the third series of joint attacks to hit the country.
They followed The US attacks in Iraq and Syria on Friday which also targeted Iranian-backed militant groups.
The Pentagon said 36 targets had been hit Yemen on Saturday evening – after Iraq warned against it the Middle East was “on the brink of the abyss” as tensions boil over.
It targeted underground rocket arsenals, launch sites and helicopters used by the rebel group in their attacks.
And today's warning could be a sign of Tehran's nervousness about Western efforts to target Iran through its proxy terror groups in the Middle East.
All of the recent attacks — including this week's retaliation for the recent killing of three American soldiers in Jordan — trace back to Hamas's war with Israel.
Iran has repeatedly been involved in the ongoing conflict and is believed to finance and supply weapons to such groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Tehran today ordered the US to leave the ships Behshad and Saviz – which have been loitering off the coast of Yemen for years – alone during their attacks in Yemen.
Both ships are listed as commercial cargo ships from Tehran but are suspected of operating as spy bases for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Saudi Arabia once called the Saviz a maritime base and described it as a weapons hotspot for the IRGC, teeming with men in military gear.
Chilling footage at the time even showed what appeared to be a machine gun bolted to the deck of the ship.
And today's statement from the Iranian military appeared to admit that the ships operate as “floating armories.”
The Behshad was also described as working on an Iranian mission in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – a hotbed of recent attacks on the world's busiest shipping lane.
Their televised statement ended with a warning and a disturbing montage of images of American warships and an American flag.
It warned that anyone carrying out “terrorist activities” against the ships would take responsibility for possible retaliation.
Following Saturday's attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen, a spokesman for the extremist group said it would not be deterred from expressing support for Hamas.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree added: “The aggressor's airstrikes will not go unanswered.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned them that further consequences would follow if they did not stop the brutal attacks on the Red Sea.
And today, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said America “intends” to launch more attacks against several Iranian-backed groups.
The group has bombed a series of Israeli, American and British ships off the coast of Yemen in recent months, even completely hijacking the cargo ship Galaxy Leader.
According to The national oneThe Behshad was near the Galaxy Leader in November when it was stormed by armed Houthi rebels.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron backed American sentiment and reaffirmed Britain's demand that Houthi attacks must stop.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels are terrorizing ships and warships in the Red Sea – but who are they?
The Shiite militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, was largely ignored by the world for more than a decade.
However, since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Gaza, they have disappeared from relative obscurity accounting for around £1 trillion in global trade held hostage – making it one of the busiest in the world shipping routes to an active war zone.
Their twisted slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews and Victory for Islam.”
Why do they attack ships?
The rebel group has launched brutal drone and missile attacks on all ships – including warships – they believe are linked to Israel, in solidarity with their ally Hamas.
The naval attacks have threatened to spark a full-blown war in the Middle East, while ripples from Israel's war in Gaza are being felt across the region – with Iran suspected of fomenting the chaos.
However, there have been frequent attacks on commercial ships with little or no connection to Israel, forcing global maritime traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased by 50 percent between November and December.
The rebel group's leaders have previously vowed that the attacks will continue until Israel stops them devastating offensive in Gaza – despite recent American and British attacks on their military strongholds.
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