IDF strikes Iranian naval vessels in Caspian Sea — first Israeli military operation in Caspian waters

Israeli Air Force struck Iranian Navy vessels at Bandar Anzali — a port city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast — on March 18, confirmed by Israeli officials and reported by Times of Israel. Multiple explosions were reported in Bandar Anzali (37.47°N/49.46°E). Israeli officials stated the strikes were targeting Iranian Navy vessels. This marks the first Israeli military operation in the Caspian Sea theater — a landlocked body of water bordering Iran to the north, flanked by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. Bandar Anzali is Iran's principal Caspian naval and commercial port. The reach of Israeli air power to Bandar Anzali — approximately 1,400 km from Israeli territory — demonstrates the expanded operational envelope of IDF long-range strike capabilities. Iran had moved naval assets toward Caspian bases to reduce Persian Gulf and Hormuz exposure during the war.