Iran ‘spy ship’ suspected of guiding Red Sea attacks could be US target

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Dr Andreas Krieg, a military analyst and senior lecturer in security studies at King’s College London, said the ship was a key intelligence node for Iran and allies but a direct attack on it could be high-risk.

“I share the the view of most intelligence services that the Behshad is obviously not just a floating armoury, but actually an ISTAR platform (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) that presents a command and control centre for the Houthi operation,” he said.

However, a US strike would compel a major Iranian response, Dr Krieg added, suggesting instead a covert operation to incapacitate it.

“I think the easiest way to undermine the capabilities of the Behshad would be to use electronic jamming, making sure that it cannot communicate with the Houthis on land,” he said. “While the Iranians would see this a hostile act it would still be short of an armed attack

Period	9 Feb 2024
Held at	iNews, United Kingdom