Friday, February 17, 2012

Iran Navy '18th Task Force' transits Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea - Updated

According to Reuters:
Two Iranian naval ships have sailed through Egypt's Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, in a move likely to be keenly watched by Israel. 
"Two Iranian ships crossed through the Suez Canal (on Thursday) following permission from the Egyptian armed forces," a source in the canal authority said Friday. 
The destroyer and a supply ship could be on their way to the Syrian coast, the source added.
This looks to be Iran Navy 18th Task Force which is on a 70-80 day mission "aimed at demonstrating Iran's power in the high seas" according to Islamic Republic of Iran media. The task force comprises IRINS Shahid Naqdi and IRINS Kharg. See file photos below:

IRINS Kharg (431) Kharg class replenishment ship (AORH)

IRINS Shahid Naqdi (82) Bayandar (PF 103) class corvette (FS)

Update:  Rescinded.

  Photo: Hossein Zohrevand and Majid Jamshidi at Fars News Agency

13 comments:

mat said...

'ATTACKING IRAN HIGHLY UNLIKELY: TURKISH POLITICIAN
Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:30AM GMT


Military action against Iran is highly unlikely, as such adventure will have serious repercussions for its perpetrators, a Turkish politician tells Press TV.

“Iran has been always threatened by war. I cannot believe reports and claims that an operation will be launched against Iran in spring or reports like this. Iran is not an ordinary country, when we look at its historical roots and civilization, we see that it is one of the most rooted and powerful countries in the region and even in the world,” Mustafa Yilmaz, deputy leader of Turkey’s Felicity Party, said in a Friday interview.

“I cannot believe claims of a number of those who are after adventurism and who threaten to launch an attack on Iran. If they launch such an adventurism, they will face grave consequences,” he added.

Yilmaz also condemned the West’s double standards on nuclear issues, saying that the West uses Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext to put pressure on the country, while it turns a blind eye to the Israeli nuclear weapons.

Anonymous said...

Great news that both have safely docked at Tartous (Tartus). The Russian Black Sea fleet already has over 4 ships including a carrier there. IRIN's presence would be a great boost to the Syrian who have successfully neutralized the US/Zionist supported Salafi terrorists infiltrating from Jordan and Turkey as the Lebanese border is sealed at both sides by Syrian army and pro-Syrian Lebanese groups.

As expected, the well trained and well armed Syrian army has proved to be highly resilient with not even a platoon sized desertion has taken place. The Syrian C3I has performed like a well oiled machine better than anything in the Arab militaries. The high command is cohesive and the rank and file conscripts and volunteers have a very high morale and 100% loyalty to the legitimate and popular Assad government.

Syria will not fall victim to US Zionist designs. The Russians have already neutralized the Turk puppets by beefing up their Southern Command in the Caucasus with Spetnaz and air-mobile Guards divisions for quick deployment. Whatever the delusional set thinks, Syria will not fold due to various reasons and most importantly the FACT that the Khaleeji Arab puppets simply do not have the manpower of the Shia of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon which amount to over 100 million people compared to barely 25 million cowardly Saudis, Persian Gulf pimpdoms combined. NO OTHER MUSLIM NATION WILL SUPPORT THE PUPPET ARAB REGIMES DOING THE BIDDING OF US/ZIONISTS. Egypt is in a mess, the Saudi pimps got a bloody nose at Zaidi Shia hands in Yemen and Turkish puppets simply can't even handle the Kurds let alone take on Russia.

Anonymous said...

To all those dreamers the Assad regime will fall !
And Islamic Republics ass will be kicked out of Syria !

Anonymous said...

As expected, the well trained and well armed Syrian army has proved to be highly resilient with not even a platoon sized desertion has taken place. The Syrian C3I has performed like a well oiled machine better than anything in the Arab militaries.

This would be the same "well trained" and "well armed" Syrian army that like a "well oiled machine" lost the Golan Heights in six very short days (along with the loss of East Jerusalem and the West Bank by Jordan and the loss of the entire Sinai Peninsula by the great heroic Arab leader and modern-day Saladin Jamal Abdul-Nasser) to a nation of a few million Jews. It just shows that Arab and Islamist militaries are only good for killing their own people and acting as economic Mafias. When faced with professional militaries, they are slaughtered like lambs.

Anonymous said...

It's remarkable the ships managed to travel that distant without breaking up!
The 18th scrap fleet lives on for another day.

mat said...

'IRAN PLAYS KEY ROLE IN PROMOTING REGIONAL SECURITY: AFGHAN FM
Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:17PM GMT


Afghanistan foreign minister says Iran plays a crucial role in promoting security, peace and stability in the region.

Speaking on the sidelines of the third trilateral meeting of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad on Friday, Zalmai Rasoul said the Islamic Republic is the most powerful country in the region.

He also appreciated Iran's assistance to the Afghan government and nation over the past years.

Anonymous said...

the Syrian Army has proven that as long as they're the only ones with weapons, they have no hesitation in using them.....Facing an armed enemy, they're pretty useless.

Anonymous said...

To the usual IGNORANT anti-Arab rant above. The Syrian military in 1973 performed better than any Arab army before, despite being double-crossed by the sell-out Sadat pimp who stopped at Mitla pass after crossing the Suez due to Zionist Kissinger pressure. This allowed the Zionists with massive US airlift with 10 C-5 Galaxy flights a day to transfer the full weight of their military to the Golan. The Zionist airforce, beefed up by NATO F-4 stocks, deployed over 200 aircraft to ground attack the exposed Syrian armor at Golan and western edge of lake Tiberias, the sharp point of Syrian thrust.

It may help to read CROSSING THE SUEZ by the Egyptian Chief of Staff General Saad-ed-din SHAZLI, who opposed Sadat for his double-cross of Syria and for stopping the Sinai offensive after 14 kms and not moving the mobile SAM umbrella beyond Suez crossings.

Those who have attended military academy in any nation would know full well that the Syrian heroic defence at Sassa Ridge on the edge of Damascus is a tactical taxtbook case of tiered static defence despite the enemies over-whelming air and armor superiority.

Syrian military, specially the Special Forces led by Maher al Assad are a legend in the Arab world. Their performance at Tyre/Qana axis in 1982 against Sharon's Zionist invasion is also a masterpiece where Syrian mobile units armed with mere MILAN AT missiles and HOT firing Gazelles at treetop level stopped the Zionists Merkava's in their tracks, inflicting heavy losses and capturing a dozen intact tanks which now are proudly displayed at the Damascus military museum.

For the militarily ignorant, it may help to learn that the Syrian tactical deployments in 1973 and 1982 are also examined at the Imam Ali military academy at Tehran and the Sepah tactical training schools at Shiraz and Esfahan. The Sepah and Artesh used many of the Syrian mobile and static urban defence tactics in the defence of Iranian cities, particularly Khorramshahr and Abadan. The Dehloran heights and Dezful defence was also based on the Sepah experience in Lebanon alongside their Syrian brothers against massed armor with light AT weapons and mobile ambush.

Please learn a few facts before commenting nonsense. The Syrian military is not about to fold despite the delusions of its enemies.LOL.Ignorance may be bliss but reality is biting.

Anonymous said...

The Egyptian Army performed better than they ever previously had in 1973 and lost honorably that time rather than ignominiously the previous time.


and Syria still got their asses whipped after a much smallerIsraeli tank force blunted their offensive. After that they fell apart and the Israelis could have rolled into Damascus virtually unopposed.


No matter what crud they teach in Tehran, the Syrians got whipped in 73 just like always.......and the fact that the Syrians are still crying because the Golan Heights are under new management is worth endlessly more in probative value than the lies told in Tehran.


The Syrian tanks really are much better at bombarding unarmed Syrians than fighting people on close to equal terms.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps so, but Zionism is still deadend on BORROWED TIME & STOLEN LAND. Organ harvesting and all.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon on February 18, 2012 6:53 PM thank you kind sir, for that well researched information.
you are absolutely correct the Syrian Army,does posses a great deal of Military battle accomplishments and experience.

Tom said...

'Anonymous said...
Great news that both have safely docked at Tartous (Tartus). The Russian Black Sea fleet already has over 4 ships including a carrier there.'

You need to keep up. All of the Russian Task Force, including the aircraft carrier left Tartus, Syria during January. Even the PM-56 Amur Class repair ship has gone back to the Black Sea. The only presence that the Russians have in the area is the Black Sea Fleet Tanker, Ivan Bubnov. This is currently located off Cyprus after leaving Tartus and which refuelled the Task Force before they left the Mediterranean.

http://rusnavy.com/news/newsofday/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=14352

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:53 PM The fantasist.

The Syrian army is well equipped to gun down unarmed civilians.And what makes things even worse is the fact that the Hezbollah is helping at the front line of the uprising against the Syrian people.
This is a shameful act by the Assad regime as well as Hezbollah who claim they stand for Muslim rights.
The facts are that both Syrian and Islamic regime in Iran are the true oppressors of their people and the people of these countries can't wait to see the downfall of these anti human regimes.