Iran Sends Warship to Red Sea After US Sinks Houthi Boats

[Kennah]

Source: Bloomberg

Iran dispatched a warship to the Red Sea after the US Navy destroyed three Houthi boats, a move that risks ratcheting up tensions and complicates Washington’s goal of securing a waterway that’s vital to global trade.

The Alborz destroyer traversed the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a narrow choke point between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on Monday, Iranian state media said without providing further information on the vessel’s mission.

Iran’s foray into the Red Sea a day after the US action compounds a highly volatile situation in the channel that handles about 12% of the world’s commerce. The move could be seen as a challenge to the US-led maritime task force established last month to halt attacks on ships by the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels who control a swath of Yemen’s northwest, including the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port of Al-Hudaydah.

A Houthi delegation met with officials in Tehran after the US killed several members of the militant group during an attack on a Danish-owned container ship. AP Moller-Maersk A/S suspended all Red Sea transit for 48 hours to assess the situation.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-01/iran-dispatches-warship-to-red-sea-after-us-sinks-houthi-boats

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Iran is going to soon have a new submarine

[Elessar Zappa]

1. I'm sure the US Navy is terrified.

[Kennah]

2. True

This is a big decision. Which weapon system should be used to sink it? Lotta choices.

[nocoincidences]

3. Don't make us

turn this aircraft carrier around!

Cause the sailors who expected to be back in Norfolk are probably going to be a little trigger happy...

[Kennah]

4. I predict one of the other carriers in Norfolk is going to head out within the next few weeks.

[nocoincidences]

6. The Ike strike group

is already in the Persian Gulf. I'm not sure where the other carriers are right now.

[Kennah]

7. CVN-75 Harry S Truman is in Norfolk

[Angleae]

23. All the others except Ike & Ford and in/near major US navy ports.

Norfolk, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Yokosuka, Bremerton, etc.

[FBaggins]

5. Incredibly generous to call it a "destroyer"

Closer to a corvette.

[Kennah]

8. It will soon be a Destroyed

[brush]

9. I wondered about that too. Since when does Iran have a destroyer.

[FBaggins]

12. They had four very nice ones on the way prior to the revolution

They became the Kidd class for the US Navy and were essentially cruisers.

Now they’re the heart of the Taiwanese navy

[brush]

14. "Now they're the heart of the Taiwanese navy."

Huh? Explain please. What does that have to do with Iran?

[FBaggins]

16. Iran was our ally in the 70s

The only country we ever sold the F-14 to. They had ordered (and paid for) four souped-up Spruance class destroyers. They were just rolling off the blocks when the Ayatollah took over in Iran and the US Navy decided to keep them. They were ideal for service in the now-heated-up Middle East due to their more powerful air conditioning and sand-filtering systems - and they were a great way to tease Iran every time they deployed to the Gulf.

They were later sold to Taiwan

[getagrip_already]

13. They have some corvettes and friggates...

All pre revolution us built, like Korean or ww2 vintage.

They also have some older soviet kilo class attack subs.

I'm not sure what they have for weopon systems, but the closer they get, the more dangerous they get. Even shells are dangerous if they hit you in a first strike.

[brush]

15. How close can they get from missiles fired from US Navy jets from distance they can't even see?

[getagrip_already]

17. Thats assuming a firing decision has been authorized...

We aren't talking about oceans here. These are very small bodies of water relatively speaking.

Rules of engage don't allow a commander to fire on first sight, or they would always be firing. So there is a lot of game playing. One side challenges the other and backs off. Gets aggressive and turns away, or just non chalontly gets too close.

At what point do you decide to fire? I don't know. I'm not military.

But my guess is they can close enough to get ballistic rounds off.

[brush]

18. The Mediterreanean is not a small body of water.

All I'm saying is that Iran, or Yemen's forces are no match for the US Navy.

[getagrip_already]

19. Red sea, not med..

The red sea is long, but only about 200 miles wide. Ships can't pass each other outside of missile kill distance.

[brush]

20. US Naval officers are capable of handling Iran or Yemen forces...

from/in either sea.

[getagrip_already]

21. Of course they are.....

But shit happens. We aren't impervious.

We have the best military in the world, but it can still lose an assett in hot combat.

Never forget that.

[brush]

30. And so can opponents. My money is on the US in hot combat.

I have to say, you sound like yours isn't.

See video in Post 24 when Iran last fucked with the US Navy.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

31. I think you mean post 24.

[brush]

33. Yes, thanks for the correction.

[reACTIONary]

22. Red sea, Gulf of Aden, not the med.....

.... a choke point off the coast of Yemen.

[paleotn]

32. May end up looking like this one.

I'm not exactly sure what the Iranians are up to. Their record against the US Navy is bad. Very bad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Praying_Mantis

&t=208s

[lapfog_1]

10. An accident might happen

where a "Houthi" group in Yemen might fire some Houthi rockets at the Iranian warship.

All by accident...

Oops.

[Gore1FL]

11. I don't know what it is going to accomplish other than symbolism

Unless Iran wants to directly support the shipping attacks it'll just be a training cruise.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

24. Great and humorous video of what happened the last time the Iranian Navy

decided to fuck with the US Navy:

If Iran thinks that the US Navy is intimidated by their Navy, they're going to learn another painful lesson.
Truly hope it doesn't come down to this.

[LPBBEAR]

25. New Iranian TV show......

"Voyage To See Whats On The Bottom"

Coming soon to a channel near you.

[Ford_Prefect]

26. Alborz (72) is one of 4 frigates built in the UK for Iran during 1968-1972. It has been upgraded since.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRIS_Alborz_(72)

[Kennah]

27. 4.5 inch gun and Noor anti ship missiles

Gun has a 14 mile range

Missiles have an 18 to 137 mile range (depending upon the model)

Once it enters the Arabian Sea, I'd say it becomes a target

[MarineCombatEngineer]

28. Oh yeah,

and there'll probably be a LA or Virginia class Hunter/Killer sub shadowing it with a firing solution ready to go on a moment's notice.

[GP6971]

36. I wouldn't say "probably"

Count on it.

[keithbvadu2]

29. Iran sending Navy ships... to protect world trade shipping from pirates?

[PortTack]

34. Iran is at the find out point...nuts!

[IronLionZion]

37. They sent a 51 year old frigate

of the same class that the US Navy already sank one in 1988. Good luck with that. I hope the Iranian sailors have made out their wills and are prepared to end up in the bottom of the Red Sea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvand-class_frigate

[pwb]

38. Those Iranian sailors must be shitting in their pants.

Maybe it is time for this? Once and for all, Iran, Russia and North Korea. They are all phony fake tough just like Iraq and Libya. This is just me but I tire of them all. Combined they should not threaten Joe.

[cstanleytech]

39. If you don't want to get shot and killed at sea don't engage in piracy.