Iran fires warning at US not to target Tehran’s ‘spy ships’ in Red Sea ‘with terror army on board’ after Yemen strikes

IRAN sent a chilling warning to the US after last night’s Yemen strikes – telling them to leave Iranian spy ships in the Red Sea alone.

The two cargo ships are thought to have IRGC commandos on board, serving as military bases for Tehran’s warped terrorist army.

Reuters

A Tomahawk land attack missile is launched from the USS Gravely in last night’s strikes on Yemen[/caption]

Footage shows explosions lighting up the night sky in Yemen during Saturday’s airstrikes

Getty

People pick their way through rubble after American airstrikes on Iraq[/caption]

The US and UK last night targeted Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen – the third set of joint strikes to hit the country.

They followed America’s strikes in Iraq and Syria on Friday which also targeted Iran-backed militant groups.

The Pentagon said 36 targets were struck in Yemen on Saturday night – hours after Iraq warned that the Middle East was “on the brink of the abyss” as tensions boil over.

Today’s warning could be a sign of Tehran’s nervousness about Western efforts to hit Iran via its proxy terror groups in the Middle East.

All of the recent attacks – including this weeks retaliation for the recent killing of three American soldiers in Jordan – stem back to Hamas’ war with Israel.

Iran has repeatedly been tied to the ongoing conflict and are believed to finance and provide weapons to groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Tehran today told the US to leave the Behshad and Saviz ships – which have loitered off the coast of Yemen for years – alone during their attacks on Houthis in Yemen.

America said it targeted underground missile arsenals, launch sites and helicopters used by the rebel group in the strikes last night.

Both vessels are listed as commercial Tehran cargo ships – but are suspected of operating as spy bases for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Saudi Arabia once dubbed the Saviz a maritime base and described it as a weapons hotpoint for the IRGC – crawling with men kitted out in military gear.

Chilling footage at the time showed what appeared to be a machine gun bolted to the deck of the ship.

And the Iranian army statement today appeared to admit that the vessels operate as “floating armouries”.

The Behshad was even described as working on an Iranian mission in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – a hotbed of recent attacks in the world’s busiest shipping lane.

Their televised statement ended with a warning and a disturbing montage of footage of US warships and an American flag.

It warned that anyone carrying out “terrorist activities” against the vessels would be taking responsibility for potential retaliation.