– Washington Post – Iran is rapidly gaining new capabilities to strike at U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, amassing an arsenal of sophisticated anti-ship missiles while expanding its fleet of fast-attack boats and submarines, U.S. and Middle Eastern analysts say.

– New York Times – Two Iranian warships that docked in a Syrian port as a senior Iranian lawmaker denounced American calls for arming the Syrian opposition were reported on Tuesday to have left the Mediterranean, sailing south through the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea.

– Daily Telegraph – Iran’s navy claimed its warships entered the Mediterranean on Saturday to show its ‘might’ to regional countries, as a high-level American official was due to arrive in Israel.

– Stratfor – Stratfor sources have indicated that Iranian naval exercises scheduled to take place by Feb. 19 have been delayed or possibly canceled. Given other recent moves by the United States and Iran aimed at reducing bilateral tensions, the apparent delay may have been motivated by a desire to facilitate talks on Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.

– BBC – In 1988, US warships clashed with Iranian forces in the Gulf. As a war of words now escalates, is there a danger that history will repeat itself?

– Economist – Despite its sabre-rattling in the Gulf, Iran’s options are limited

– UPI – An Iranian naval official said the country’s navy plans to deploy ships in the Atlantic Ocean near U.S. maritime borders.

– UPI – Cruise missiles with a range of 124 miles were delivered to the Iranian navy to bolster the country’s national defense, the Iranian military said.

– Associated Press – Iran’s navy chief says he is seeking closer naval ties with Syria.

– Washington Post – Iranian officials on Tuesday hailed the passage of two warships through Egypt’s Suez Canal as a milestone in Iran’s effort to play a greater role in maritime affairs.

– BBC – Two Iranian warships have entered the Suez Canal to make a passage to the Mediterranean Sea, canal officials say.

– BBC – Plans by two Iranian warships to pass through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean have been cancelled, says an Egyptian official.

– Associated Press – A common fight against piracy brought U.S. and Iranian navy commanders together in a meeting with other participants earlier this month.

Daily Telegraph – Iran navy produces armed copy of Bladerunner 51 speedboat

Iran says it will mass produce armed replicas of the Bladerunner 51, the British-built speedboat hailed among the fastest in the world, for its navy in the Gulf.

AFP – Iran navy equipped with four new submarines

Iran’s navy on Sunday took delivery of four new mini submarines of the home-produced Ghadir class.

Financial Times – Iran-bound powerboat raises fears

Has a record-breaking British powerboat become the “ultimate toy” for an Iranian playboy or – as US investigators fear – is it now equipped with the world’s fastest torpedoes aimed at sinking an aircraft carrier in the Gulf?

Thanks to Mark for the link!

Foreign Policy – The Strait Dope

Why Iran can’t cut off your oil.

PressTV – Iran domestic submarines join naval fleet

Iran’s domestically manufactured fleet of lightweight submarines makes great strides after three mid-jet Ghadir-class submarines come on stream.

(Thanks to Justin for the link!)

Reuters – U.S. navy says no sign yet of new Iran naval bases

The U.S. navy has no information that Iran has begun construction of planned new naval bases on the eastern approach to the Gulf.

Defense Technology International – Hyperbolic Arsenal

Does the Iranian Navy have access to the Russian Shkval supercavitating torpedo?

Daily Telegraph – Iran opens new naval base in Gulf

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have opened a fourth naval base along Iran’s Gulf coast in the port of Assalouyeh. It will control a 190-mile stretch of coastline west of the strait between Kish Island and the port of Dayyer.

BBC – Iran ‘opens naval base’ near Gulf

Iran has opened new naval facilities east of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Gulf which is key to oil supplies, state media say.

BBC – Iranian speedboats approached US warships in two previously undisclosed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, a US Navy official has said.
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BBC – The US military has released video and audio recordings of Iranian boats that it says threatened to blow up US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Daily Telegraph – Video shows Iranian ‘provocation’ of US forces.
more…

BBC – Five Iranian speedboats harassed three US navy ships at the weekend, approaching them and radioing a threat to blow them up, US officials say.

CNN – Iranian boats ‘harass’ U.S. Navy, officials say.

Washington Post – U.S. Expresses Alarm After Iranian Boats Threaten Three American Vessels.
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