Staff Reports
As Israel’s war against the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas rages on, other Iranian proxies are starting to make their presence known in the Middle East. CNN reported that since the massive Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched over 100 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. And now, Iran itself has decided to join the party.
The warship is on an unknown mission from the Islamic Republic.
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According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, an Iranian warship, the destroyer Alborz, entered the Red Sea on Monday. The exact mission of the warship remains unclear, but according to Reuters, the Islamic Republic’s naval forces have been patrolling open waters since 2009 to secure shipping lanes, combat piracy, and conduct other naval operations.
This recent incident comes after the U.S. Navy sank three vessels carrying Iran-backed Houthi fighters who tried to board a container vessel in the Red Sea. Iran’s navy chief claimed back in December that the Alborz had been carrying out missions in the Red Sea, and the defense minister made a bold statement, saying that “nobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance”, likely referring to the Red Sea.
Given the Red Sea’s importance as a heavily traveled sea route and a vital choke point of the international shipping trade, Iran’s foray into the region raises concerns. Bloomberg reports that this move could be seen as a challenge to the U.S.-led maritime task force that was established last month to stop attacks on ships by the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels.
While a single ship may not pose a significant direct military threat to the powerful American naval forces in the area, Iran has a history of unconventional tactics, relying on asymmetric warfare to sow chaos.
