Iranian IRGC Commander Reveals Details Of Shadowy Maritime Battle With Israel in Sea

A senior Iranian military commander said on September 7 that his country had, some time ago, hit 12 Israeli vessels north of the Indian Ocean and elsewhere in response to Israel’s attacks on 14 Iranian vessels, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Major General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the remarks during a meeting in the Iranian capital, Tehran, between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and commanders of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, an Iranian firm controlled by the guards.

The commander was detailing a maritime battle between Iran and Israel that occurred sometime after the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018.

Although he did not specify the exact dates of the battle or related events, it is very likely he was talking about a series of incidents that took place between 2018 and 2021.

According to Salami, Israel targeted 14 Iranian vessels in an attempt to disrupt the oil exports of Iran, forcing the country to respond in kind.

“Initially, we did not realize who or which country was targeting the ships, but we eventually found out that it was Israel that had done it in a secretive and vague manner,” the commander said.

“North of the Indian Ocean and in different places, we hit 12 Israeli ships. After hitting the fifth vessel, they raised their hands in surrender and said they would cease the war between the ships,” he added.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a decades-long shadow war across the Middle East and beyond. Tensions between the two countries rose significantly following the outbreak of the war in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip in October of last year.