Suspected Iranian Surveillance Ship Heads to Home Port Amid Tensions

By Yoni Weiss

A vessel believed to be an Iranian surveillance ship has headed back to Iran, potentially in anticipation of an Israeli strike, according to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday.

The ship, named Behshad, departed its position off the coast of Yemen on April 4 and ceased broadcasting its location until it resurfaced on April 18 near the Strait of Hormuz. Bloomberg reported that the ship’s tracking signals suggest it is expected to arrive at the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran later Thursday.

Registered as a commercial cargo vessel by a Tehran-based company, the Behshad has been identified by the U.S. Treasury as being operated by a front for the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, which has been sanctioned.

The Behshad has been stationed in the Red Sea since 2021, replacing the Saviz, another vessel suspected of serving as a spy base, which sustained damages from an attack attributed to Israel. This incident is part of a broader pattern of maritime skirmishes in the region. Iran had previously stated that the Saviz was engaged in “anti-piracy” activities in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

In March, Tehran issued warnings to the U.S. regarding any potential actions against these ships. This tension escalates following Iran’s launch of hundreds of missiles, drones, and rockets at Israel.

Although nearly all missiles aimed at Israel were intercepted, the attacks resulted in serious injuries to a Bedouin girl.