Iran’s IRGC says hit Israel-linked vessel, ship ablaze

Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday that it had hit an Israel-linked vessel with a drone, setting it on fire.

The IRGC Navy said in a post on social media platform X that it hit the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, in a statement on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC confirmed the attack, saying its forces had targetted an Israeli-owned commercial ship in a port in Bahrain.

It said the ship, which was sailing under a third country’s flag and identified as “MCS Ishika,” was targetted by its Navy’s “powerful projectiles” in Khalifa Bin Salman Port during the 95th wave of the attacks against the US and Israeli targets in the West Asia region.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement added that the Israeli targets were in cities including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, which were hit “heavily and continuously” by the multiple-warhead Qadr missiles.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday said in a statement that it has struck key infrastructure sites across Tehran.

Guided by intelligence, the IDF struck several defence sites, including an aerial defence facility of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) storing missiles intended to target aircraft, according to the statement.

Also targetted were a military facility tasked with protecting weapons research and development sites, another facility used to store ballistic missiles, and additional weapons production and research and development sites.

“These completed strikes are part of the ongoing phase of increasing damage to Iran’s core systems and foundations,” the statement said.

The latest development follows the crash of two US military aircraft on Friday after they came under Iranian fire. One pilot from the two-seat F-15 has been rescued, while the other remains missing, Xinhua news agency reported. The back-to-back losses of US aircraft came shortly after US President Donald Trump claimed that Iranian forces “can’t do a thing about” US planes flying over Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday that at least five people were injured in US-Israeli attacks on several petrochemical companies in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province.

The firms, identified as Fajr 1 and 2, Regal, Amirkabir, Bandar Imam and Buali Sina, were hit at 10:47 am local time (0717 GMT) on Saturday, the report said.

It quoted Valiollah Hayati, Khuzestan’s Deputy Governor for security and law enforcement affairs, as saying that the possibility of further casualties is very high.

He added the Shalamcheh border trade terminal in Khorramshahr city was also attacked and sustained serious damage.

The Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone, where the companies are located, has been evacuated, the report said.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targetting Israel and US assets in the Middle East.

IANS