Iran Calls Off Plan to Send Warships to the Atlantic

Iranian Navy announced today that it has called off plan to deploy warships near U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean.

IRIN Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in Tehran such changes in naval plans are routine, “considering the situation in the region.” (Fars News Agency, 13 April)

Adm. Sayyari, however, did not provide specific reasons for the change, but hinted that the “rise in piracy in the Gulf of Aden” might have prompted the decision to cancel deployment to the Atlantic.

In January, Iranian navy announced that its deployed naval group, consisting of a frigate and a replenishment ship, were making a voyage to the Atlantic, with a port visit to South Africa, to demonstrate the country's ability to project power beyond the Middle East.

File photo: IRINS Sabalan (73) Alvand-class frigate (above), and IRINS Kharg (431) Kharg-class replenishment ship (below) were part of Iran’s 29th Deployed Naval Group that were to reach the Atlantic. (FNA)

Iran Navy: Warships ‘Close’ to U.S. Borders to Send A Message

A senior Iranian naval commander said today that the IRIN’s warships had begun their journey to the Atlantic Ocean via waters near South Africa, and close to U.S. maritime borders.

“Iran’s naval fleet is approaching the United States’ maritime borders, and this move has a message,” said Rear Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad, the commander of IRIN’s Northern Fleet. (Fars News Agency/AP, 8 February)

Haddad did not elaborate what kind of message the Iranian navy intended to send to the United States, or the timing of the message. Iran and the U.S. are engaged in talks to strike a comprehensive deal over the country’s nuclear program.

File photo: IRINS Kharq (431) replenishment ship, one of the two ships sent to Atlantic Ocean. (Fars News Agency)

Iran Sends Warships to Atlantic

Two Iranian warships set sail today for the Atlantic Ocean on Iranian navy's first-ever mission there. The voyage comes amid an ongoing push by Iran to demonstrate the ability to project power across the Middle East and beyond.

The frigate Sabalan and the replenishment ship Kharq are dispatched on a three-month voyage.

“The warships will have task of securing shipping routes as well as training new personnel,” said IRIN Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari. (Fars News Agency/AP, 21 January)

The ships, carrying some 30 naval academy cadets for training along with their regular crews, left the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas today. The navy did not disclose any ports of call.

Iran has regularly deployed warships to the Gulf of Aden off the eastern coast of Africa to fight piracy and protect commercial ships.

Photos: IRINS Sabalan (73) Alvand class (Vosper Mk5 type) frigate, and IRINS Kharq (431) Kharq (modified OL) class replenishment ship.

Photo credit: Fars News Agency