The Iranian Alborz vessel entered the Red Sea during a period of escalating tensions on shipping routes in the area ahead of the Israel-Hamas war and attacks on shipping vessels by Iran's allies, Tasnim news agency reported on January 1.
Tasnim did not give specific information about the Alborz's mission, but said Iranian warships have been operating in international waters to protect shipping routes, prevent piracy and carry out other missions since 2009.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement has also targeted several shipping vessels in the Red Sea since November in a show of support for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war with Israel.
Iran's Alborz warship in a photo released in 2019 (Photo: Iranian Army).
In response, many major shipping companies have turned to the longer and more expensive route through Africa's Gulf of Good Hope instead of going through the Suez Canal, a waterway that serves about 12% of international shipping traffic.
Tasnim said the Alborz warship entered the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, without giving further details. Some unverified reports on social media said the ship had entered the Red Sea on Saturday.
Iran Press TV said the Alvand-class destroyer is part of the Iranian navy's 34th fleet, alongside the Bushehr support ship, and has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden, the northern Indian Ocean and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait since 2015.
The US 5th Fleet said it could not speak for the Iranian Navy or provide comment on unverified reports of the Iranian warship's movements.
Houthi militants attacked a Maersk container ship with missiles and small boats on Saturday and Sunday, forcing the company to suspend all its operations in the Red Sea for 48 hours.
Iran's Navy chief, Shahram Irani, was quoted by Iranian media on December 14, commenting on the Red Sea, asserting that “no one can act in a maritime area where we have the upper hand.”
Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)
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