Israel has carried out a rare long-range strike on Iranian naval assets in the

Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, Iran has retaliated by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively shutting down the narrow channel of water.

TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - 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.

Ships with no ties to Israel or the United States would be allowed to pass, the government said, but it was unclear if any vessels would try.

"We have for the first time carried out strikes in northern Iran in the Caspian Sea," said a spokesman for the Israeli military.