Last Tuesday, the Iranian ship
MV Saviz was attacked in the Red Sea with what was later revealed to be limpet mines, causing the ship’s engine rooms to flood.
Several analysts, including at the US Naval Institute, say the
Saviz – contrary to Iranian claims – is used for gathering intelligence in the Bab Al Mandeb, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The attack on the
Saviz is remarkably similar to a number of other attacks on shipping in the region, including one on the Israeli commercial vessel
Helios Ray in February and limpet mine attacks on four commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman in May 2019.