War Zone – Iranian boats have now harassed American warships in and around the Persian Gulf on three separate occasions in just over a month.

War Zone – The incident took place yesterday and is the second instance of Iranian boats harassing American military vessels in less than a month.

War Zone – One of Iran’s oddest ships was used to torment U.S. Coast Guard crews operating in the Persian Gulf.

USNI News – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) is building a new class of warships, as first reported in Naval News last week based on satellite imagery. The catamaran design appears relatively large, modern and capable compared to existing IRGC commercial-based designs. The sectarian arm of the Iranian military’s move to more substantial warships may be part of a wider effort by the IRGC-N to gain conventional naval capabilities more in line with the regular IRIN (Islamic Republic of Iran Navy).

Naval News – We believe that Iran’s IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard) will unveil a new ship soon. The 64m (210 ft) long catamaran is believed to be a low-observable missile corvette. It is much larger and heavier armed than the IRIS Shahid Nazeri, a related ship already in IRGC service.

Naval News – The US Navy’s gigantic Expeditionary Mobile Base (ESB) ships are among the largest naval vessels afloat. They are part of America’s unrivalled global reach, but they are no longer unique. Iran is testing a similar Forward Base Ship which is comparable in size.

StrategyPage – Another look at Iran’s current submarine problems.

(Thanks to Alain)

Defense News – The Iranian and Russian militaries have kicked off a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean aimed at boosting security of maritime trade in the region.

National Interest – Tehran might lack the ability to keep their Cold War-era Soviet submarines in running order.

(Thanks to Alain)

USNI News – While the Iranian naval forces have been clashing with U.S. forces in the Middles East in the last several weeks, its most capable submarines have been out of action.

War Zone – Iran sent ballistic missiles 1,000 miles out into the Indian Ocean, but it doesn’t mean they have a long-range anti-ship ballistic missile capability.

War Zone – Iran’s Navy has formally commissioned the Markran, a former oil tanker it says has been transformed into a “forward base ship.” This vessel could provide a platform for more persistent maritime operations in and outside of the country’s own littoral areas. 

USNI News – The Middle East remains a volatile area for merchant shipping into the new year, according to the analysis of attacks on ships in the region.

Naval News – New intelligence suggests that Iran has a locally built warship which has not been publicly revealed.

War Zone – The ship was damaged above the waterline, which might indicate the use of a limpet mine, which Iran and its proxies have used in past tanker attacks.

Navy Recognition –  Iran plans to deliver a new surveillance warship “Shiraz” to the Iranian Navy. This new vessel has special features and would join Iran’s Navy fleet next Iranian calendar year.

(Thanks to Alain)

War Zone – Packing drones, boats, missiles, and a helicopter, it is Iran’s somewhat questionable take on American expeditionary sea bases.

USNI News – Emblazoned with the pennant number “1” in on its superstructure, Shahid Roudaki joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) as its latest and most visible warship during a ceremony held in Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

USNI News – Officially Saviz is a merchant ship, but it is most likely a covert Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forward base. Several open-source reports over the last several years and officials with Saudi Arabia have accused the ship of being operated by the IRGC.

– USNI News – An Iranian special forces team boarded and seized a Liberian tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates for about five hours on Wednesday. The action by Iranian forces drew swift condemnation from the U.S.-led collation created to deter harassment of merchant ships in and out of the Persian Gulf.

– Forbes – The saga of Iran’s fake aircraft carrier, intended as a propaganda coup, is turning into an own goal…

(Thanks to Alain)

– BBC – Iran has launched missiles at a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

– National Interest – One of their three Soviet-built Kilo-class submarines just might be out of commission.

(Thanks to Alain)

– Navy Times – As tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S., the Islamic Republic appears to have constructed a new mock-up of an aircraft carrier off its southern coast for potential live-fire drills.

– Navy Times – The U.S. Navy warned Tuesday it will take “lawful defensive measures” against vessels in the Mideast that come within 100 meters (yards) of its warships, offering specific guidelines after a recent close encounter with Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf.