Iran orders asset seizures, arrests over security allegations

Two vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and are heading toward Iranian ports, despite a US maritime blockade, Guards-affiliated Fars news reported on Wednesday.

The report said a bulk carrier carrying food supplies entered the Persian Gulf and is sailing toward Imam Khomeini Port.

It also reported that a very large crude carrier under US sanctions transited the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Wednesday and entered Iranian waters with its tracking system active.

Ships linked to Iran are increasingly using “spoofing” and other deceptive tracking tactics in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the start of a US naval blockade, the New York Times reported, citing maritime experts.

The activity includes vessels going “dark” by switching off transponders or transmitting false identification data to avoid detection, the report said.

“Now, we are starting to see vessels going dark or using ‘zombie’ or random identification,” Ami Daniel, chief executive of maritime intelligence firm Windward, told the newspaper.

The shift suggests operators are becoming more cautious and testing enforcement limits as the blockade disrupts normal shipping patterns, according to the report.

Such tactics, previously used by Russia-linked vessels to evade sanctions, could make it harder to track ship movements and add to uncertainty in the waterway, it said.

Israeli authorities charged a woman from the northern city of Nazareth on Wednesday with spying for Iran, police and the Shin Bet security agency said.

Shomua Abu Abed was detained in March and had been passing information to a foreign agent since October in exchange for cryptocurrency, according to a joint statement.

She allegedly carried out multiple missions, including photographing security sites, Israeli military bases and the Haifa oil refinery, and transmitting information about an Israeli citizen described as a former security official.

Two remotely operated improvised explosive devices detonated in Tehran early on Wednesday, slightly injuring three people, including a member of the Basij paramilitary force, Iranian state media reported.

A third improvised explosive device was discovered and defused, the reports said.

Mohammad Balideh, a Revolutionary Guards commander for Tehran region 10, said the situation was under control.

“Nothing extraordinary happened here, just a limited explosion on the street at the hands of traitorous and unpatriotic elements, with no fatalities or serious damages,” he told Hamshahri newspaper.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Tehran supports constructive dialogue with the US but would not be 'forced into submission.'

“Iran is not seeking war or instability and has always emphasized dialogue and constructive engagement with other countries,” he said during a visit to an emergency services center in Tehran.

“Any attempt to impose will or force the country into submission is doomed to fail,” he added.