U.S. conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian spy ship

WASHINGTON — The United States recently conducted a cyberattack against an Iranian military ship that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to three U.S. officials.

The cyberattack occurred more than a week ago and was part of the Biden administration’s response to the drone attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan late last month and wounded dozens of others, the officials said.

The operation was intended to inhibit the Iranian ship’s ability to share intelligence with Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been firing missiles and drones at cargo ships in the Red Sea, the officials said. U.S. officials say Iran uses the ship to provide targeting information to the Houthis so their attacks on the ships can be more effective.

One of the U.S. officials with knowledge of the cyberattack said the operation was conducted on an Iranian ship named the MV Behshad. The other officials declined to disclose the name of the ship.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment and referred questions to the Defense Department, which also declined to comment.

U.S. officials typically do not disclose covert operations, including cyberattacks, and have not publicly released information about the one involving the suspected Iranian spy ship.

In an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt last week, Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the Behshad is in the Red Sea “to combat the piracy activities” and is not providing intelligence to Houthi forces.

Since January, the Behshad has been operating near the port of Djibouti, close to a Chinese military base on shore, according to ship tracking data. Military