Illustrative: A group of Iranian Navy ships. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israel carried out strikes targeting the Iranian navy in the Caspian Sea for the first time on Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday, telling reporters that Iran’s naval capabilities in the inland sea had been largely disabled.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the Air Force had struck dozens of targets, including missile boats, a corvette, a shipyard used to build and repair vessels, and a command center.

“We have been able to take out their navy capabilities in the Caspian Sea,” he said in an online briefing with reporters.

“That is a systematic strike on all levels of their naval capabilities in the Caspian Sea.”