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Iranian warships reportedly bound for Venezuela change course after US intervention
Satellite image of the Makran, USNI News Photo Illustration. Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies used by USNI with permission
Kaieteur News – On June 10, 2021, Iranian State TV reported that two Iranian warships, the Sahand, an Iranian destroyer and the Makran, a support vessel set sail from the southern port of Bandar Abbas of the Islamic Republic. Subsequently, various American media reports were noted citing the mostly speculative claims of anonymous government officials that the vessels were likely bound for Venezuela, however, Iran has not to date confirmed the vessels final destination. Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Iran’s deputy army chief, described the mission as “the Iranian navy’s longest and most challenging voyage yet” adding that “the Navy is improving its seafaring capacity and proving its long-term durability in unfavourable seas and the Atlantic’s unfavourable weather conditions.” Despite Iran stating that the vessels will not call at any country’s port during the length of the voyage, several media houses and news websites have since opted to support the theory that the vessels’ final destination is likely Venezuela, stating that the mission of the vessels likely included the testing of US and allied commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, under whose terms Iran is permitted to export military equipment.
Despite this theory however, both countries remain tight-lipped as to its legitimacy, with a top aide to President Nicolas Maduro denying press reports that the ships will dock there and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, declining to address the specific question at a news conference on May, 31. He stated, “Iran is always present in international waters and it has this right based on international law and it can be present in international waters. No country is able to violate this right, and I warn that no one makes miscalculations. Those who sit in glass houses should be careful.”
Iran has discussed the deployment of its Navy into the Atlantic since 2011 and in 2018, a naval commander spoke of a plan to send two or three warships to Venezuela for a five-month mission as a tit-for-tat response to the US Navy carrier presence near Iranian waters. In August 2020, President Maduro praised the idea of buying Iranian missiles and air defense systems, with sources reporting that the two governments signed an arms contract. Several news agencies had identified what looked like seven Iranian fast-attack crafts typically associated with its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on the deck of the Makran, and also cite the capacity of the vessel to store a vast quantity of arms or oil for transfer to Venezuela. The latest development has seen the ships changing courses after an effort to resolve the issue diplomatically was undertaken by the US. The Biden administration had previously urged several Caribbean countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, to refuse to allow the two vessels to dock in their ports. The campaign by the US also coincided with a joint military programme hosted by Guyana called Tradewinds 2021. Tradewinds 2021 is a Caribbean security-focused, multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. The multi-national exercise was held from June 13 – 25 in Guyana and saw 17 countries participate to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training, focused on increasing regional cooperation in complex multi-national security operations. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity said, “the ships which US officials believe may have been preparing to conduct an arms transfer, have appeared to change course several times during their journey from Iran — and could do so again. But after the course change early this week, they are likely now headed either into the Mediterranean — potentially planning to sail off of Syria — or north toward Russia.”
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