American officials said that the United States recently launched a cyberattack against an Iranian ship that was “collecting intelligence information” about cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

NBC NEWS quoted 3 American officials as saying that the cyber attack occurred more than a week ago, and was part of President Joe Biden’s administration’s response to a drone attack launched by an Iranian-backed armed group based in Iraq, which claimed the lives of 3 American soldiers and injured dozens of others. In Jordan on January 28th.

The officials stated that the operation was aimed at obstructing the Iranian ship's ability to share intelligence information with the Yemeni Houthi group fighters, who are launching missile and drone attacks on shipping traffic in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to the officials.

US officials say Iran is using the ship to "provide information" that helps the Houthis identify targets to make their attacks on ships more effective.

One of the officials with knowledge of the cyber attack indicated that the operation targeted the Iranian ship MV Behshad, but other officials declined to reveal the name of the ship.