Tehran, Apr 10 (IANS): A senior military commander said that Israel and the US are suspected to be behind the recent attack on an Iranian ship in the Red Sea.

Tehran will "definitely" respond to the attack on the country's ship in the Red Sea, Xinhua news agency quoted Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces, as saying on Friday.

"We need to ascertain the source of the incident. If we uncover the source of the attack on the ship, we will definitely respond. We will never be silent," Shekarchi was quoted as saying.

"Washington is undoubtedly involved in any attempt to undermine and harm the Islamic Republic," he added.

On Wednesday, Iran confirmed an explosion in the commercial ship Saviz in the Red Sea.

Iran's Tasnim news agency had originally reported on the explosion and damage to the ship, which escorts Iranian merchant ships in the Red Sea.

It did not give further details.

According to the US website GlobalSecurity.org, the damaged freighter is used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman described the ship as a "security guarantor for shipping routes".