Iranian Warships Head Towards US Coastline

Iranian Warships Head Towards US Coastline

Even as the Iranian warships travelling to the coast of the United States may not pose any threat to the US, it may be a rehearsal for future events.

According to former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, it demonstrates the capability of Iran in bringing weapons on a ship. This may be a threat if it carries ballistic missiles that can be launched against any part of the coastline of the United States.

Institute for the Study of War analyst Chris Harmer said one of the ships travelling to the US coast is a military cargo vessel that was suspected of transporting arms into Sudan in the past. He added that the journey shows the capabilities and worldwide ambitions of Iran.

Reports indicated that the Northern Navy Fleet commander Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad of Iran said that a fleet was sent by Iran to draw near the maritime borders of the US for the first time. The report comes prior to a meeting between Iranian diplomats and world powers, including the United States, in Vienna. The meeting aims to create an agreement on the nuclear program of Iran.

The Iranian warships started to sail across the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. The fleet, composed of a destroyer and a helicopter-carrying vessel, is embarking on a mission that will last for three months, according to officials in Iran.

The journey of the Iranian warships is part of the response of Iran to the increased naval presence of the US at the Persian Gulf. A former adviser of President Barack Obama, Gary Saymore, indicated that Iran has been consistent in calling for no military bases run by countries outside of the Gulf countries. If there are no outside powers, Iran considers itself as the strongest power within the region.

Center for Naval Analyses Iranian Studies director Michael Connell said the military doctrine of Iran depends on the use fo low-tech weapons and a readiness to take casualties.

Connell revealed the warships pose minimal threat since they do not have any weapons to hit target on land. He added the vessels were vulnerable, particularly to US naval aircraft.

However, Bolton said the Iranian warships may not currently pose a threat but their mission indicates that Iran is working on increasing its capabilities for future events.

Posted by James Fried on Thursday February 13 2014, 2:57 AM EDT. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0