Iran's Revolutionary Guard Plans New Attacks on East Asian Shipping

Iran's Revolutionary Guard intelligence unit, known as Unit 4000, is reportedly planning sabotage operations targeting maritime vessels in key East Asian shipping lanes and ports. According to a report by Iran International, sources close to the Guard claim the unit is preparing to attack commercial, military, and private ships in the Strait of Malacca, the Bangka Strait, and ports in Indonesia and China. The operation is allegedly led by Rahman Moghadam, a commander previously reported by Israeli media to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 4, 2026. However, current reports suggest Moghadam survived and continues to lead Unit 4000's activities.

Unit 4000 is described as the special operations arm of the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence, responsible for assassinations and sabotage against regime opponents and Israeli targets abroad. The reported plan focuses on disrupting shipping in the Strait of Malacca, a critical chokepoint for global oil transport, and the Bangka Strait, as well as major Chinese ports like Ningbo-Zhoushan and Shanghai, and Tanjung Priok port in Indonesia. Such actions, if carried out alongside disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, could significantly increase shipping costs and lengthen transit routes.

The report details how the operational infrastructure is allegedly being built in East Asia, with the Guard recruiting non-Iranian nationals. These individuals are reportedly brought to Iran for training before being deployed back to the region. Specific individuals named include Sayed Moman Sakitichai, a Shiite community leader in Thailand, and two Indonesian clerics, Sayed Zuhair Yahya and Abdallah Skaf, who allegedly identify candidates for Unit 4000. Mohsen Agazadeh and Vahid Yekta-Dehghan are said to be responsible for their recruitment and training.

Three individuals are identified as having been recruited and trained for these maritime operations: Pando Yudhawinata, described as a Hezbollah member with past links to an attempted attack on the Israeli embassy in Bangkok; and two Indonesian nationals, Ardianta Mutoha and Muhammad Hussein. The report suggests these recruits underwent training in Tehran to prepare them for covert activities in East Asian ports and waterways. This alleged plan comes at a time when Iran is already accused of pressuring other shipping routes, with the Houthis disrupting traffic in the Bab al-Mandab and Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz.