The US on Friday released newly declassified intelligence that suggests Iran has been “deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told CNN.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than 100 attacks against about a dozen commercial and merchant ships transiting the Red Sea over the past four weeks, CNN previously reported. The newly declassified intelligence suggests that “Iranian support throughout the Gaza crisis has enabled the Houthis to launch attacks against Israel and maritime targets, though Iran has often deferred operational decision-making authority to the Houthis,” Watson said.

On Tuesday, a senior US military official said the Iranians are operating in the Red Sea when asked whether Iran is helping the Houthis select targets. But that official said the Houthi attacks have been broadly indiscriminate.

  • magnetosphere
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    1611 months ago

    Screwing with international commerce is a great way to get a lot of attention. Unfortunately, it’s also a great way to piss people off. This will lead to more violence than we want - except for the most bloodthirsty and deranged, that is.

      • magnetosphere
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        211 months ago

        As a yankee, my official response is a cynical LMAO. My government is insane.

      • @rodolfo@lemmy.world
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        -411 months ago

        the perfect reply. thank you.

        for them there’s lots of dangerous and deranged terrorists (in many cases known elsewhere as kids) or dictators (in many cases known elsewhere as regularly elected politician), but they ain’t able to see the most dangerous of all: the USers themselves.

        • @wandermind@sopuli.xyz
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          111 months ago

          Ah yes, good guy regularly elected politicians ordering random strikes on civilian shipping, bad guy US complaining about this totally reasonable and peace-loving behavior.

      • @buzlo@lemmy.world
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        1811 months ago

        Because the Israeli genocide in Gaza is the direct and stated reason for the attack on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea?

        • PugJesus
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          711 months ago

          “Israel is committing genocide; attacking non-Israeli vessels far from the territorial waters of Israel will surely solve this issue!”

          • NoneOfUrBusiness
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            11 months ago

            Sigh They’re trying to economically isolate Israel by cutting off red sea shipping.

            It’s a DIY blockade.

            • PugJesus
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              911 months ago

              Yes, Red Sea shipping, known for not being a busy sea route used by anyone other than shipping to and from Israel.

              • NoneOfUrBusiness
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                11 months ago

                At first they only targeted Israel-related shipping, but then after the US and crew escalated they’re just targeting all shipping.

                Edit: Nevermind.

      • @saze@feddit.uk
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        411 months ago

        The Houthi attacks on commercial shipping are literally an attempt to blockade Israel and coerce them into stopping the Gaza offensive.

    • andrew_bidlaw
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      -511 months ago

      Cocklocking Iranian gov and Iran’s proxies isn’t that wrong?

  • AutoTL;DRB
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    211 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    The US on Friday released newly declassified intelligence that suggests Iran has been “deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told CNN.

    The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than 100 attacks against about a dozen commercial and merchant ships transiting the Red Sea over the past four weeks, CNN previously reported.

    On Tuesday, a senior US military official said the Iranians are operating in the Red Sea when asked whether Iran is helping the Houthis select targets.

    “Iran has the choice to provide or withhold this support, without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” Watson said.

    “Iranian-provided tactical intelligence has been critical in enabling Houthi targeting of maritime vessels since the group commenced attacks in November,” she added.

    The “very significant breadth of attacks” on commercial ships in the Red Sea have escalated to a level not seen in at least “two generations,” a senior US military official said Tuesday.


    The original article contains 597 words, the summary contains 179 words. Saved 70%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • @Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Okay this is 100% my own personal conspiracy theory, but I think Russia is behind all of this. They are using Iran as a proxy and then Iran is using its proxies. Creating levels of deniability. I think Russia was the originator of the actions by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels. Maybe it is just a nudge and a wink by Russian officials to Iran or maybe its material support/planning help. I have nothing but my conjecture to go on, but hands down this has benefited Russia. It has taken a very large spotlight off Ukraine and diverted spending to Israel. Yeah it was a situation already primed but it was very convenient timing for Russia

    Edit got a few down votes. Does that mean it is true…