U.S. Disrupts Iranian Ship's Operations Digitally

On February 15, according to a report by NBC News which cited three officials from the United States, the U.S. executed a cyber operation targeting an Iranian naval vessel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. This vessel was engaged in intelligence gathering activities on commercial shipping.

The cyber operation occurred seven days prior and was a part of the U.S. government's countermeasures following a drone strike by groups supported by Iran in Iraq. This earlier incident resulted in the deaths of three American service members in Jordan towards the end of the previous month and inflicted injuries on numerous others, as per the NBC News narrative.

The purpose of this cyber initiative, NBC disclosed, was to disrupt the Iranian ship's capability to communicate intelligence data to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Aligned with Iran, the Houthi faction, dominating Yemen's major population centers, has initiated a series of attacks using drones and missiles targeting commercial ships traversing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These assaults have been described as retaliatory actions against Israeli military activities in Gaza, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Such aggressive actions by the Houthis have impeded trading activities between Asia and Europe, sparking concerns over potential disruptions in supply chains.

In response to these threats, the United States military has launched operations against the insurgent group. President Joe Biden, in January, announced that these assaults on Houthi positions would persist, despite acknowledging the challenge in completely stopping the group's provocations.

Requests for comments on the NBC News article to the White House National Security Council had not been answered immediately.