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Iranian Navy News

02 Jan 2024

Iranian Warship Enters the Red Sea

© Peter Cripps / Adobe Stock

Iran's Alborz warship has entered the Red Sea, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, at a time of soaring tensions on the key shipping route amid the Israel-Hamas war and attacks on vessels by forces allied to Tehran.Tasnim did not give details of the Alborz's mission but said Iranian warships had been operating in open waters to secure shipping routes, combat piracy and carry out other tasks since 2009.Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting vessels…

06 Jul 2023

Iran Says it Had Court Order to Seize Chevron Tanker

Richmond Voyager  - Credit: Kelly Conner

Iran said on Thursday it had a court order to seize a tanker in Gulf waters a day earlier after it collided with an Iranian vessel, one of two tankers the U.S. Navy said it prevented Iran from commandeering. The Richmond Voyager, a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker, had collided with an Iranian vessel, and the Iranian navy had a court order to seize it, the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Iran's Hormozgan Province told the official IRINN news agency. The U.S. Navy said it sent guided…

05 Jul 2023

US Navy Says It Prevented Iran from Seizing Tankers in Gulf

Screenshot of video captured of an Iranian naval vessel firing multiple long bursts of rounds from small arms and crew-served weapons during an attempt to unlawfully seize the commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman, July 5, 2023. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy said it had intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, in the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area since 2019.In a statement, the U.S. Navy said that at 0100 local time (2100 GMT), an Iranian naval vessel had approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman."The Iranian vessel departed the scene when U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived on station…

28 Apr 2023

US Confiscates Iran Oil Cargo on Tanker Amid Tehran Tensions

The U.S. confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanctions enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the U.S. over Iran's nuclear program. Iran does not recognise the sanctions, and its oil exports have been rising.Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb.Maritime security company Ambrey said the U.S. confiscation took place at least five days before Iran's action on Thursday.

28 Apr 2023

US Calls on Iran to Release Tanker Seized in Gulf of Oman

Advantage Sweet (Photo: Advantage Tankers)

Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman in international waters on Thursday, the U.S. Navy said, the latest in a series of seizures or attacks on commercial vessels in sensitive Gulf waters since 2019.Iran's army said it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it collided with an Iranian boat, injuring several crewmen, Iranian state media reported."Two members of the boat's crew are missing and several were injured due to the collision of the ship with the boat," an army statement said.The U.S.

02 Mar 2023

Israel Urges Brazil to Undock Iranian Warships

© Thalma / Adobe Stock

Israel on Thursday criticised Brazil's decision to grant berth to two Iranian warships in the face of U.S. pressure, and urged President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government to send them away.The vessels docked in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Reuters reported that Brazil had declined to admit them in January, in a goodwill gesture from Lula as he flew to Washington to meet U.S. President Joe Biden.Israel and Iran have been locked in a Cold War-style conflict for decades, which has included mutual accusations of maritime sabotage…

02 Sep 2022

Report: Iran Navy Seizes, Then Releases U.S. Unmanned Surface Vessels in Red Sea

Credit: U.S. Navy

Iran's navy seized but later released two U.S. surface drones in the Red Sea, accusing the unmanned vessels of jeopardizing maritime safety, Iranian state television reported on Friday, in the second such incident in days."The (Iranian navy) frigate Jamaran seized the two vessels on Thursday to prevent any possible accident after issuing warnings to the U.S. fleet. After international shipping lanes were secured, the two vessels were released in a safe area," the TV said. Footage…

28 May 2022

Iran Says Crew of Two Seized Greek Tankers Not Detained and Are On Board

Iran's state maritime body said on Saturday the crew of two Greek tankers seized by its Revolutionary Guards on Friday had not been detained, and were in good health and being cared for on board their vessels.Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast."The crew of the two Greek tankers have not been arrested, and all crew members ... are in good health and are being protected, and provided with necessary services while on board, in accordance with international law…

01 Nov 2021

Iranian Navy Foils Pirate Attack on Oil Tanker

The Iranian navy thwarted a pirate attack against an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, Iranian state TV said. "Before crossing the Bab al-Mandeb straight, the tanker was approached by four boats carrying armed men who were prevented in their attack after the Iranian escort fired warning shots," state TV reported.Iran’s navy has extended its reach in recent years, sending vessels to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Nick Macfie)

16 Feb 2021

Iran, Russia Navies Start Exercises in Indian Ocean

© Oleksii / Adobe Stock

Iran and Russia on Tuesday embarked on joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean which will include thwarting a mock pirate attack on a merchant ship, Iranian state media reported.Iran has recently conducted several military exercises as it tries to push the United States to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement.Admiral Gholamreza Tahani told state television that night and day time firing was practiced.The drills also included “a variety of defensive formations towards the key part of the exercises which will be to free a merchant vessel attacked by pirates…

09 Feb 2021

How Will Biden's Iran Strategy Impact Shipping?

© Lotharingia / Adobe Stock

How will Biden read Iranian hostilities? Forceful diplomacy or reckless militancy?Anticipating the Biden Administration’s Iran strategy is crucial for understanding future risks for maritime operators in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and wider Indian Ocean.Though the new U.S. Administration and the Iranian regime have stated their willingness to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, they are unlikely to do so.

20 May 2020

After US Warning, Iran Says its Navy Will Still Operate in Gulf

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels approach U.S. Military ships in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Navy photo)

The Iranian navy will maintain regular missions in the Gulf, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, a day after the United States warned mariners there to stay away from U.S. warships.“The naval units of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will continue their regular missions in accordance with professional principles as in the past,” ISNA quoted an unnamed military official as saying.The U.S. warning to mariners followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat last month to fire on any Iranian ships that harass U.S. Navy vessels.The Bahrain-based U.S.

11 May 2020

Iran: 19 Sailors Killed in Naval Friendly-Fire Incident

Illustration by 3dsculptor-AdobeStock

One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an exercise, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iran's navy said on Monday.The incident took place during training in the Gulf of Oman, a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Iran regularly conducts exercises in the area.The frigate Jamaran fired at a training target released by a support ship, the Konarak. However, the support ship stayed too close to the target and was hit…

18 Jul 2019

Revolutionary Guards Seize Oil Tanker in Gulf

Iran has seized a foreign tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf, state television quoted Iran's Revolutionary Guards as saying on Thursday."A foreign vessel smuggling one million litres of fuel in the Larak Island of the Persian Gulf has been seized," the station said, adding that the ship was seized on Sunday.The Revolutionary Guards said the impounded vessel - which Iranian authorities have not yet named - was the same one it towed after it sent a distress call."The vessel that Iran towed to its waters after receiving a distress call, was later seized with the order from the court as we found out that it was smuggling fuel," the Guards said in a statement quoted by state television.The Guards said they had seized no other ship in the Gulf.Iranian navy vessels came to the assistance of a disa

13 Jun 2019

Front Altair's Crew Unharmed and Now in Iran

The crew of Frontline's Front Altair comprised 11 Russian, one Georgian and 11 Philippine nationals who are unharmed following an explosion, Frontline said on Thursday."They were transferred to an Iranian navy vessel and disembarked at a local Iranian port. It is understood they are now being transferred to Bandar Abbas," the company said in a statement to Reuters. (Reuters, Reporting by Victoria Klesty, writing by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

08 Mar 2019

Iranian Navy Thwarts Pirate Attack on Oil Tanker

Iranian naval forces intervened to repel pirates who attacked an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, state television reported on Friday.The broadcast said pirates in 11 speedboats attacked a tanker with a cargo of 150,000 tonnes on Thursday. It showed naval forces opening fire on speedboats, without saying whether the footage was from the latest incident.Iran’s navy has extended its reach in recent years, dispatching vessels to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates. (Reuters, Reporting by Dubai newsroom Editing by David Goodman)

26 Dec 2018

U.S. Navy Carrier Group Enters the Gulf

The guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57), left, the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10), the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 300), and the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) transit the Strait of Hormuz, Dec. 21, 2018. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and

Iran says ready to respond, but U.S. aircraft carrier no threatIran is ready to respond to any hostile U.S. action, but it does not consider the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Gulf last week a significant threat, an Iranian navy commander said on Monday.The USS John C. Stennis entered the Gulf on Friday, ending a long absence of U.S. aircraft carriers in the region as tensions rise between Tehran and Washington."The presence of this warship is insignificant to us,"…

24 Dec 2018

Iran Ready to Respond, but U.S. Aircraft Carrier no Threat

Iran said on Monday it was ready to respond to any hostile U.S. action, but it did not consider the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Gulf last week as a significant threat.The USS John C. Stennis entered the Gulf on Friday, ending a long absence of U.S. aircraft carriers in the region as tensions rise between Tehran and Washington."The presence of this warship is insignificant to us," Iran's Navy commander Habibollah Sayyari was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency."We will not allow this warship to come near our territorial waters in the Persian Gulf," he added.Sayyari said the U.S. navy was allowed to sail in international waters near Iran, just as the Iranian navy could sail in the Atlantic Ocean near U.S.

03 Dec 2018

Iran Navy Launches Stealth Warship in the Gulf

Iran's navy on Saturday launched a domestically made destroyer, which state media said has radar-evading stealth properties, as tensions rise with arch-enemy, the United States.In a ceremony carried live on state television, the Sahand destroyer -- which can sustain voyages lasting five months without resupply -- joined Iran's regular navy at a base in Bandar Abbas on the Gulf.The Sahand has a flight deck for helicopters, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft and anti-ship guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and electronic warfare capabilities, state television reported.U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of an international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme in May and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

11 Sep 2017

US Denies Iran Report of Confrontation with US Vessel

An Iranian military vessel confronted an American warship in the Gulf and warned it to stay away from a damaged Iranian fishing boat, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, but the U.S. Navy denied any direct contact with Iranian forces. The American vessel turned away after the warning from the Iranian ship, which belonged to the naval branch of the Iranian army, according to Tasnim. The Iranian military vessel then towed the fishing boat, which had sent out a distress signal after taking on water, back to shore. The agency did not specify when the incident, close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, took place. In statement, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said the coastal patrol USS Tempest, operating in the Gulf of Oman on Sept.

12 May 2016

This Day In Naval History: May 12

USS Enterprise (CV-6) (Photo: US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum)

1780 - The city of Charleston, S.C., falls to the British when Continental Gen. Benjamin Lincoln surrenders during the American Revolution. Three Continental Navy frigates (Boston, Providence, and Ranger) are captured; and one American frigate (Queen of France) is sunk to prevent capture. 1938 - USS Enterprise (CV 6) is commissioned. Notable service during WWII include the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway, the Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea…

03 May 2015

USN Escort U.S. Flagged Ships in Strait of Hormuz

Ships from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain have begun accompanying U.S.-flagged maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Department officials said. Sufficient U.S. naval forces are assigned to the command to meet the requirements of the accompanying mission, officials said, adding that Navcent will coordinate with shipping-industry representatives to ensure the operations go smoothly and efficiently. The mission was prompted by two incidents this week in the Strait of Hormuz in which Iranian navy patrol vessels harassed commercial motor vessels traversing the strait. On April 24, four Iranian patrol boats approached the U.S.-flagged merchant ship Maersk Kensington, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said during an April 29 briefing.

02 May 2015

Maersk Vessel to be Released after Company Pays Debt: Iran

The Iranian Embassy in Denmark has reportedly said that a cargo ship recently impounded the Persian Gulf by Iranian Navy forces will be released if the ship’s operator company settles its overdue debts to an Iranian plaintiff. “Iranian authorities reiterate that there has been absolutely no political or security intentions or considerations behind the incident,” read a statement by the Iranian Embassy on Thursday, AFP reported. "The seizure of the ship was solely an enforcement of a judicial court ruling resulting from a commercial dispute between two private parties," it added. "Naturally the ship will be released after settlements of debts by Maersk Line and will be allowed to sail to its final destination," stated the Embassy of Iran in Copenhagen on its website.