Four Iran-linked ships spotted near submarine cable after ‘threat of attack’

Satellite footage also captures the recovery of Iranian missile bases

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim A-ram = As Iran hinted at the possibility of attacking submarine communication cables in response to the possibility of additional airstrikes by the United States and Israel, ships linked to Iran were found wandering around the submarine cables.

According to the British daily Financial Times (FT) on the 6th (local time), maritime information company Windward recently observed at least four Iran-linked ships sailing on abnormal routes or staying for long periods of time in the waters near the submarine cable crossing the Gulf of Oman.

Of these, three are oil tankers subject to U.S. sanctions. The remaining vessel is a small Iranian fishing boat.

These ships sailed normally, but when they reached a specific submarine cable passage area, they slowed down or turned around and even turned off their location tracking signals.

Windward said this movement "is consistent with a pattern of behavior of planting explosives or mines while locating cable routes or with location tracking signals turned off."

Last month, as threats of additional attacks from the United States continued, Iran responded by warning that it could attack undersea communication cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz and data centers in the region.

Meanwhile, the British BBC reported that, as a result of a recent analysis of satellite images, Iran is carrying out large-scale construction work near at least two major missile bases, and that recovery has been detected at at least 12 other military facilities damaged by airstrikes by the United States and Israel.

MAIAR, a British intelligence analysis company that analyzed satellite images, explained that Iran "has shown a tendency to move facilities underground to protect its infrastructure from further attacks."