An Iranian warship entered the Red Sea – the area smelled of gunpowder

The Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported today (1/1) that the Iranian Alborz warship entered the Red Sea, amid escalating tensions in this main shipping lane that has witnessed regular attacks on ships by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who support Tehran.

“Iranian warships operate in open waters”

Tasnim did not provide details about the Alborz mission, but said that Iranian warships have been operating in open waters to secure shipping lines, combat piracy, and perform other tasks since 2009.

Since November, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks in the Red Sea against ships they consider “linked to Israel,” in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Pressure for military intervention in Yemen

We remind you that the Times of London reported yesterday that the United States and Britain decided to work together to settle the rebels with intense air and missile strikes, while the Times of New York reported today that Biden is under pressure to strike the Houthis inside Yemen. .

Faced with these incidents, many major shipping companies have redesigned their shipping routes, choosing the more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, rather than going through the Suez Canal, where approximately 12% of global trade passes. .

Tasnim said that the Alborz warship entered the Red Sea through the Bab al-Madab Strait, without specifying when. Unconfirmed reports on social media indicated that the ship entered these waters late on Saturday.

The area smells of gunpowder

In the latest attack by the Shiite rebels, ten Houthi rebels were killed yesterday by American fire that sank their boats in the Red Sea while they were attacking the Maersk Hangzhou container ship.

The giant Danish shipping company Maersk then announced the suspension of its fleet’s passage through the strategically important Bab al-Madab Strait in the Red Sea for 48 hours.

Iranian media quoted Iranian Navy Commander Shahram Irani on December 2 as saying that Alborz was carrying out missions in the Red Sea.

Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Astiani said on December 14 regarding the Red Sea that “no one can move in an area that we control.”