Teheran confirms its cargo ship attacked in Red Sea

An Iranian cargo ship which had been anchored for years in the Red Sea off Yemen was attacked on Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday.

The statement marked the first Iranian comment on the mysterious incident involving the MV Saviz, suspected to have been carried out by Israel. The attack came as Iran and world powers sat down in Vienna for the first talks about the US potentially rejoining a 2015 nuclear deal, showing that challenges ahead do not rest merely on those negotiations.

Iran had described the Saviz as aiding in "anti-piracy" efforts in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial choke point in international shipping.