Iran enters the Mediterranean

[Skwink]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/18/world/meast/iran-warships/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Two Iranian warships sailed through Egypt's Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported Saturday, amid heightened tensions in the region.

The move represents only the second time such ships have crossed the Suez Canal since the Islamic republic's 1979 revolution.

The first time took place in February 2011, just days after Egypt's post-Hosni Mubarak government gave the green light to the passage -- putting Egypt's new military leaders in a prickly position with its Israeli neighbor.

So, what do you guys think is going on over there?

 

[BasketCase]

Target practice for U.S. submarines.

 

[emzie]

Is Egypt even, international maritime law and stuff, allowed to block Iran's navy from using the Suez?

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Good point, it probably has some kind of status as an international waterway. And even if not legally, then at least de facto. Though if only de facto, it is one thing to let merchants pass and another to let warships pass. But oh well - there is no good reason to believe Egypt has to share the geo-political interests of the West.

 

[Maniacal]

They are reminding everyone that they still have a navy capable of going there. Typical military posturing, saber rattling and penis size comparing

 

[bhsup]

Free navigation of the seas. Obviously keep a close eye on them, but they're doing nothing illegal just by sailing there.

 

[Ajidica]

Given what happened the last time the Egyptians tried to close the Suez, I don't think they are too keen to try it again.

 

[Kyriakos]

The more the merrier, now only the russian fleet is missing from the equation in the med

 

[Ayn Rand]

Under the Constantinople Convention of the Suez Canal of 2nd March 1888, maintained in Nasser's nationalisation act, the canal may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag."

I don't think there is any question of Iran being blocked from entering the med as that would be an act of war by whoever did the blocking. The main reason for the Iranians not to go there is that they are outclassed and outnumbered.

It makes little sense for the Iranians to enter the med for the purposes of naval warfighting. More likely they are engaged in a trade of some sort - I suspect they are delivering or picking up items such as gold, currency, perhaps even munitions or nuclear fuel of some kind.

 

[Patroklos]

Yeah, old people go around the world in sailboats all the time.. I hope to do this when I'm retired.

Nations that make a big deal about such things (*cough* Russia) are really just highlighting how pathetic there capabilities are and how laughably low their standards are.

 

[Godwynn]

Let the Italians handle them.

 

[Cutlass]

The Iranian navy ships are too weak to care about in any case.

 

[Leoreth]

Is Egypt even, international maritime law and stuff, allowed to block Iran's navy from using the Suez?

I don't know, but they did so under Mubarak.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

They think they have meaningful green-water navy power projection capabilities. How adorable.

 

[warpus]

Free navigation of the seas. Obviously keep a close eye on them, but they're doing nothing illegal just by sailing there.

Exactly. Iran is surrounded by enemy military bases on all sides, not to mention American navy groups all over the place. This is them saying: "We're allowed to take our boats out for a spin too!"

Everyone in the west is beating their war drums.. We need to calm the hell down.

 

[Silurian]

Hopefully they are just transiting the Mediterranean and will dock in south Devon, UK so we can get some port fees and a few tourists will come to look at the ships.

 

[Joecoolyo]

It was not clear from the report where the two vessels, a destroyer and a supply ship, were headed. However, another semi-official Iranian news agency, ISNA, said the ships were on their way to Syria.

Oh boy

 

[Glassfan]

A destroyer and a supply ship, and Gaza is on the way.

 

[Patroklos]

Iran has no DDs, what they call destroyers are squarely in the range of frigates.

 

[Glassfan]

Iran has no DDs, what they call destroyers are squarely in the range of frigates.

Good Call Patroklos. The ship pictured in the CNN article, hull # 71, is the Alvand, a Vosper Mk 5 class Frigate - and obviously a gun ship. Iran is said to have some destroyers, but they are not in commission.