IRGCN Boats Fire Shots Across the Bow of Singapore Freighter

In Persian Gulf Off UAE Coast

Five IRGC Navy fast boats today fired shots across the bow of a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, the Alpine Eternity, in the Persian Gulf in an attempt to stop the ship.

IRGCN boats approached the cargo vessel in international waters just off the coast of the United Arab Emirates at around noon local time and fired across its bow, and at that point the cargo vessel turned and escaped by entering into UAE territorial waters, CNN reported according to initial U.S. military reports of the incident. The UAE sent three of its coast guard boats out to the cargo vessel.

The IRGC navy has been following an aggressive policy in the Persian Gulf in recent weeks. Late in April, it intercepted a Maersk cargo ship at the Strait of Hormuz and detained it for nearly 10 days. There have been other reports of harassment of cargo ships by IRGC fast boats since then. Today’s incident was serious, talking place near the UAE territorial waters and prompting UAE navy to send out coast guard boats.

It seems the IRGC is angry over the Saudi-led coalition’s enforcement of UN arms embargo against the Huthis in Yemen. Last month, a nine-ship convoy of IRGCN suspected of carrying arms for the Huthis had to change course and head home. Iran is now sending a humanitarian aid vessel to Yemen, but the Iranian foreign ministry has coordinated the aid delivery with the UN and there are no indications that IRGCN warships are accompanying the ship.

File photo: IRGCN patrol boats (Mehr News Agency)

Iran Releases Seized Cargo Ship

Iran has released the Maersk Tigris, a container ship it seized in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Marzieh Afkham, the spokeswoman for the Iranian foreign ministry, said the Maersk Tigris had “left Iranian territorial waters.” (ISNA/BBC, 7 May)

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was intercepted by IRGC Navy patrol boats on 28 April.

Maersk Meets Iran Officials over Seizure of Vessel

No Progress Reported

Maersk Line said on Monday it had met with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) regarding the seizure of the vessel Maersk Tigris but has yet to receive any official documents from Iranian authorities.

“We have yet to receive any written notifications, court ruling, arrest order or similar, pertaining to the seizure of Maersk Tigris or the cargo case,” Maersk said in a written statement. (Reuters, 4 May)

Iran has said the seizure of the vessel at he Strait of Hormuz by the IRGC Navy concerns a years-old case over uncollected cargo and an unpaid bill. Iran took the unusual step of seizing the vessel at sea and forcing it to sail to an Iranian port. For safety reasons, commercial ships involved in legal disputes are arrested while already docked at a port.

The Maersk Tigris is not owned by the Danish shipping giant. Maersk had chartered the vessel, which is owned by Singapore’s Rickmer Shipmanagement. 

Maersk called again for the crew and the vessel to be released immediately.

File photo: The Maersk Tigris (abc)

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Returns to Persian Gulf

Potential Confrontation with Iranian Convoy Averted

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt returned to the Persian Gulf on Saturday, after a short deployment to the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to counter an Iranian convoy suspected of carrying arms to the Huthis in Yemen. On Thursday, the Iranian convoy of seven freighters and two IRGC Navy warships reversed course in the direction of home, and is expected to reach the Iranian waters soon.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said on Friday that a potential confrontation between U.S. warships and the Iranian convoy was averted through diplomatic channels. Carter added that the de-escalation was “a welcome event.” He did not elaborate what diplomatic channels were used in communicating with the Iranians.

File photo: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (Wikipedia)

Iranian Convoy Heading Home - UPDATE

A nine-ship Iranian convoy of seven freighters and two IRGCN warships suspected of carrying arms to the Huthis in Yemen today reversed course and now is heading northeast in the Arabian Sea in the direction of home. The convoy had dropped anchor near Yemeni border with Oman in the Arabian Sea. (AP/Fox, 23 April) 

The Pentagon officials welcomed the reversal, Fox News reported today.

The move by Iran avoids showdown with U.S. Navy in the Arabian Sea and is also a possible quid pro quo for Saudi halt in major air campaign.

File photo: Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The carrier arrived in the Arabian Sea on Monday. U.S. ships and jet fighters were closely monitoring the movements of the Iranian convoy. (Photo: Reuters)

UPDATE (Friday 24 April): U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are also heading back to the Persian Gulf after the Iranian convoy reversed course on Thursday and headed home. Them moves indicate that a potential stand off between the two navies has been averted. 

IRGC Navy Starts Persian Gulf Wargames

Anti-Ship Missiles Hit Mockup of U.S. Aircraft Carrier

The IRGC navy (IRGCN) today began its “Payambar-e Azam 9” (Great Prophet 9) wargames in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Fars News Agency reported.

During the exercises today, anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from the coast and anti-ship cruise missiles fired by navy helicopters hit a carrier mockup, modeled after a U.S. NIMITZ class aircraft carrier. This is the first time that the IRGCN has incorporated a carrier mockup in its wargames. In a video released by Fars News Agency, IRGCN fast attack boats are shown training swarm attack and firing rockets at the mockup carrier, with helicopters overhead firing Nasr anti-ship cruise missiles at their target.

IRGCN also reported that several vessels today drilled high-speed mine-laying operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have the most advanced sea mines which cannot be imagined by the Americans,” said IRGCN Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi. (Fars News Agency, 25 February)

IRGCN also fired a number of anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Strait of Hormuz during today’s drills.

Photo: Screen capture of IRGCN video showing missile attacks on a carrier mockup; the Persian Gulf, 25 February 2015 (Fars News Agency/eaworldview)

IRGCN Up-Arms Tondar Fast Attack Craft with Qader Missile

IRGC Navy (IRGCN) has refitted its Tondar fast attack craft (FAC) with Qader anti-ship missiles (AShM). Iran imported 10 Tondars from China in the mid-1990s. They remain the largest combat vessels in the IRGCN's fleet. (HIS Jane’s 360, 10 April)

The Tondar FACs were originally armed with Chinese C-802 anti-ship missiles and later its Iranian-version Noor. The domestically produced Qaders are extended range C-802/3 variant, with a range of 200 km and GPS assisted. Qader went into production in 2011.

Qader, first produced as shore-based launchers, are now being used on different platforms. They are  fitted on F-4 Phantom fighters as air-launched anti-ship cruise missiles, and on Kaman (Combattante II)-class FACs and Jamaran-class frigates.

File photo: Qader Anti-Ship Missile (IranMilitaryForum.net)

IRGC to Establish “Basij Navy”

The semi-official Fars News Agency reported today that the IRGC is planning to establish a “Basij Navy.” IRGC already has its own naval force, IRGCN, responsible for defending the Persian Gulf and waging naval asymmetrical war in case of an attack on Iran. Its area of responsibility extends from Strait of Hormuz to northern Gulf.

Artesh, the regular military, also has its own regular naval force. The exact role of the new Basij Navy was not disclosed, except it was spoken of as being an auxiliary force to boost the capabilities of the IRGC Navy.

“The Basij Navy should be quickly organized through the cooperation of the IRGC Navy and the Basij Organization,” said Brig. Gen. Ali Akbar Kharatiyan, deputy commander of IRGCN. “On the basis of the same plan, some members of Basij will undergo specialized trainings in the field of naval defense and operations.” (Fars News Agency, 2 November)

Gen. Kharatiyan made his comment during a naval conference in Bandar Abbas.

File photo: IRGCN fast attack boats. (Fars News Agency)

IRGCN’s Deterrence Dissuades Enemy Attack - Commander

IRGC Navy's deterrence strategy dissuades the enemies of Iran from any military confrontation in the Persian Gulf, the IRGCN commander said today.

“With the materialization of the IRGC Navy's deterrence strategy, enemies... are heavily afraid of a military confrontation with us in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” said Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi. [IRNA/Press TV, 17 August]

Adm. Fadavi added that Iran's naval deterrence measures up to the type and size of potential threats. He said the enemies have understood that “any hostile action [against Iran] will be met with a regrettable and crushing response.”

“Having taken a series of measures in hardware and software sectors, we have made the enemy believe that threatening national interests and security of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be ensued by threats [posed] to the national interests and security of aggressors," said Fadavi.

The strategic Strait of Hormuz is IRGCN’s area of responsibility. About 15 million barrels of oil flow through Hormuz every day, making it one of the most important shipping lanes.

File photo: Vahid Reza Alaie/Fars News Agency

IRGC Receives New Sea-Based Missiles

The head of Aerospace Organization at Iran’s Ministry of Defense, Brig. Gen. Mehdi Farahi, told reporters in Tehran today that his organization has produced a new sea-based cruise missile with a firing speed of 300 km/h (186 miles/hour) that can be fired from fast attack craft at a speed of 30 knots. The new missiles, still unnamed, have been delivered to IRGC Navy, Gen. Farahi added. (Fars News Agency, 12 May)

IRGC Navy’s area of responsibility includes the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The naval force, organized for asymmetrical warfare in the Gulf, has been operating a series of rockets and missiles, fit to be fired from fast attack craft, named “Zafar,” “Nasr,” “Nour,” “Ghader,” and “Ghadir.”

File photo: IRGCN fast attack craft (Jaam-e Jam/Hosein Nikpor)

Iran Starts Navy Drills in Strait of Hormuz

Iran today started six-day naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. IRIN Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the “Velayat 91” drills would last until Wednesday across an area of about 1 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and northern parts of the Indian Ocean. (IRNA, 28 December)

Adm. Sayyari had said on Tuesday that the new drill would test the navy's missile systems, combat ships, submarines and patrol and reconnaissance methods.

Rear Admiral Qolam Reza Biqam, IRIN deputy commander, told reporters today that the IRIN will closely coordinate the exercises with the IRGC Navy and will use IRGC drones throughout the six-day drills. (Fars News Agency, 28 December)

File photo: An IRIN warship (ISNA) 

IRGC Navy Holds Maneuvers in Persian Gulf

IRGC Navy began a four-day naval exercise on Tuesday in the Asaluyeh and South Pars region of the Persian Gulf. The region holds one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves.

“The exercises are aimed at improving the different units of IRGC Navy in Fourth Region. We will assess our defense capabilities of human forces and facilities,” said IRGC Rear Admiral Ali Reza Nasseri. (Mehr News Agency, 26 December)

Iran’s regular navy will also hold maneuvers on Friday, covering a 400,000-mile area from the Strait of Hormuz to northern part of the Indian Ocean.

File photo: IRGC navy ship (Fars News Agency/Vahid Reza Alaei)