The U.S. accusations of Iran’s involvement in planning attacks launched from Yemen by Houthi rebels against commercial shipping heightened tensions in the Red Sea. The U.S. formed the “Guardian of Prosperity” naval coalition to protect maritime traffic, leading to further escalation, including the destruction of Houthi-operated boats.
In response, Iran deployed the IRIS Alborz frigate to the Red Sea.
On January 1, the Iranian press agency Tasnim indicated that Tehran had just deployed the “destroyer” IRIS Alborz in the Red Sea. And recall that the Iranian Navy has been operating in this area to “secure shipping lanes, repel pirates, among others, since 2009”. In reality, belonging to the 94th flotilla of the Iranian Navy, the IRIS Alborz is not a “destroyer” but a light frigate [1540 tons] of British origin, in service since 1971. It has eight Noor anti-ship missiles, a 114 mm turret, a 30 mm Kamand close-in weapon system (CIWS), three cannons, two 81 mm mortars, two 12.7 machine guns, and two torpedo tubes.
Iran has recently done the same misclassification to the IRIS Deylaman ship it commissioned to the Caspian Sea.
