All is not smooth sailing.....as some NATO Nations are refusing to allow their Navy to participate unless their Ships are under NATO Control and not the US led Coalition.

How will that turn out should this become a genuine international commerce crisis where shipping can no longer utilize the Red Sea or Suez Canal route and have to go the long way around to get to Europe?

If Insurance Carriers terminate coverage and Shipping Companies have to avoid the area it could become a real economic cost to national economies that are already fragile.

FAFO…

The frigate IRIS Alborz of the Iranian Navy has entered the Red Sea as part of a flotilla of ships. The Iranian ships are deploying off the coast of Yemen.

Amid reports of the US and UK's readiness to begin military operations against the Houthis, the appearance of Iranian ships could be a harbinger of a serious escalation in the region.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f1a96765de.png
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Looks like a lovely New Year's decoration for the bottom of the Red Sea. :p

Not if you consider the implications. Best left floating and watched unless it fires first.

I find the Frigate deployment surprising. Iran has made a point of trying to have plausible deniability for the actions of the Houthi. They now have skin in the game in a way that is pretty unambiguous.

Dangerous times indeed…

Maybe the Houthis are getting uppity and giving Iran a bad name...(?)

Anyone got any updates on the situation with the Iranian nuke programme? Not expecting a detailed reply, you understand. I haven't read all the thread.

I always trusted that the Israeis would have the ways and means to babysit it. But they may be a tad distracted right now....

Cooch

Hopefully a Houthi missile will put a hole in the Iranian frigate.

Last I saw the Iranians were in a position were they could go nuclear in a couple of months if they want to . They seem to reckon they'll get more (such as the frozen oil cash) if they hold their hand and and DON'T proceed - for now anyway

Perhaps the Iranian frigate is there to observe and report - what and to whom would be the question. While it is international waters however, not a lot that can be done about it.

SAS and Lonewolf: With indecisive national leadership, the rules of engagement imposed on local commanders can easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Had some experience with that some decades ago.

An interesting question would not be "Where are the Carriers?" but rather "Where are the Attack Submarines?.

Then one might consider where are some B-52's and B-1's......or even some B-2's.

Iranian Frigates have done better as artificial reefs than as combatants as I recall.

They certainly are not going to carry the day should they decide to start the game with a kick off.....that shall not end well for them militarily.

Presence alone is sufficient to allow them to project some limited power.....actual hostilities shall only cause them to. lose the game and project no power at all.

I 'm with Ninthace - they're there to observe, check on tactics etc and the guys in Tehran can tell the Yemenis "look! we've sent a frigate!" but it won't do anything

Yes but the coalition will have to honour the threat, and it would only take one mistake on either side to start a shooting war. I don't see any way this can't be considered escalatory on Iran's part.

There are only two types of vessels at Sea . Submarines and Targets .

I have heard that from a friends son who is on Hunter Killers in UK Navy, however not sure the Red Sea is a great submarine attack area due to depth and manoeuvring space but that is just a bystander’s theoretical observation. I did know a US Navy Boomer officer who operated in the Mediterranean, and said they were always in Western Mediterranean due to depth.

Cheers
Mr Mac

Does Iran have any submarines? There is also the threat of mines should anyone be daft enough to lay some.

If it is in international waters, minding its own business, all the coalition can do is keep an eye on it. For all we know it may just be on passage from A to B. Perhaps a port visit somewhere?

Ford heading home