As of Thursday, the military action directed at Iran has reached its 13th day. Attacks continue from Iran and its allied forces in Lebanon, including strikes on oil tankers in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Israel reports conducting significant attacks on Revolutionary Guard facilities overnight.
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**Wednesday’s updates are listed below. All times refer to Eastern Time**
6:50am: Iran launches drone at oil tanker
Overnight, Iranian attacks impacted at least three oil tankers in the Gulf—one near the UAE and two near Basra, Iraq. Some images from the Iraq incidents are striking, featuring massive fireballs lighting up the night sky.
According to reports, one of the vessels hit off Iraq, the SafeSea Vishnu, was American-owned but registered in the Marshall Islands. This flagging allows shipowners to navigate under fewer regulations and lower costs. While this arrangement is widely accepted, there’s ongoing debate within maritime security circles regarding how long entities like the US and UK will bear the costs of defense for vessels flying the cheapest flags.
The Marshall Islands, of course, have no capacity to protect ships in international waters and lack a military presence.
The second tanker that sank off Iraq was reportedly Greek-owned and registered in Malta. The third ship, located near the UAE, was owned by China and flying a Liberian flag. Interestingly, it was noted that the ship’s owners were attempting to broadcast that they were uninvolved in the conflict at the time of the attack, which—well, that strategy seems flawed.
The SafeSea Vishnu was hit by what appeared to be a “white unmanned high-speed boat filled with explosives,” described as a maritime drone or unmanned surface vessel (USV).
Iran’s known portfolio of small attack vessels, often referred to as a “mosquito fleet,” has been understood for years. They’ve used everything from missile launchers mounted on speedboats to boats filled with explosives, particularly noteworthy in recent weeks.
Perhaps the most notable example of such tactics was witnessed with Ukrainian forces, who claimed to have sunk multiple Russian ships using a drone swarm. This involved similar high-speed vessels equipped with explosives and advanced guidance systems.
6:30am: Assault from Lebanon targeted at Israel
Last night, a substantial wave of missiles and drones was launched from Lebanon towards Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported an effort to mitigate this by targeting missile launch sites in Lebanon and intercepting incoming projectiles, with a total of 200 rockets fired. Most were either intercepted or landed in areas without damage.
In a further escalation, the IDF announced it had executed a major airstrike on Iranian sites, focusing on “terrorist infrastructure, weapons depots, command centers,” and nuclear facilities. They specified that the “Talleghan” site was a location used by the Iranian regime to enhance its nuclear capabilities, dating back to the secret “AMAD” project in the 2000s.
6:15am: Missile strikes Italian base
An Italian military base in Iraq was struck by a missile early in the morning. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. If the missile is indeed Iranian-made, it might indicate Iran’s persistence in using remaining launch facilities for broader attacks.
The Italian government has condemned the incident but is pursuing a “thorough investigation” before making any definitive claims about the attackers. They’ve also raised questions about whether Italian bases were the intended targets, as they were struck alongside other foreign bases.
Quite a situation to unravel. For further details, click here.
