A semi-official Iranian news agency says Iran's navy has sent submarines to the Red Sea, in its first such mission in distant waters.

The Fars news agency quotes an unnamed official Tuesday as saying Tehran sent the submarines to collect data in international waters and identify other warships.

The report says the submarines accompanied Iranian warships to the Gulf of Aden in May before arriving in the Red Sea. It did not mention the type or number of submarines used in the mission.

In February, Iran's navy dispatched two ships to the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in 30 years. The Iranian naval ships docked in Syria after passing through Egypt's Suez Canal.

Israel called the act a “provocation,” while Iran said the move was meant to reinforce Iran's defense capabilities.