Recently, the United States carried out a cyberattack against an Iranian military ship involved in gathering intelligence on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to three U.S. officials.

The cyberattack, occurring more than a week ago, was part of the Biden administration’s response to a drone attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that resulted in the killing of three U.S. service members in Jordan and the injury of dozens late last month, as stated by the officials.

The objective of the operation was to disrupt the Iranian ship’s capability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been launching missiles and drones at cargo ships in the Red Sea.

U.S. officials assert that Iran employs the ship to provide targeting information to the Houthis, enhancing the effectiveness of their attacks on ships, NBC News reported.

One U.S. official, familiar with the cyberattack, disclosed that the operation targeted an Iranian ship named the MV Behshad. The other officials chose not to reveal the ship’s name.

When questioned about the matter, a spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment and directed inquiries to the Defense Department, which also declined to provide a statement.

It is customary for U.S. officials not to disclose details about covert operations, including cyberattacks, and there has been no public release of information regarding the suspected Iranian spy ship incident.

Written by B.C. Begley