Two Iranian ships are returning home after Iran says they circumnavigated the globe. According to Iranian state media and pro-regime outlets, the destroyer Dena and the Makran both succeeded in their long trip.
This was a first for Iran’s navy and shows increasing investment in maritime missions.
Iran’s increasing naval investment
The ships left the port of Bandar Abbas in September 2022 and spent some 236 days on their long journey, crossing 63,000 km of water according to Iran.
They visited Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Oman, and other countries along the way. According to Iran, the two ships are part of the 86th “flotilla” of the regime.
The Dena is outfitted with anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, while the Makran, a large vessel that is some 121,000 tons, is considered a “forward base” by Iran and was actually an oil tanker before its conversion.
Iranian military ship Iris Makran navigates on the coast of Rio de Janeiro as beachgoers sunbathe on the stones of Arpoador Beach, Brazil, February 27, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/RICARDO MORAES)Iran’s media said that the journey of the ships has garnered attention from the US and Russia. Iranian Admiral Shahram Irani this week met his Russian counterpart Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, according to reports.
The Iranian ships aren’t major naval ships in any sense of the word. Iran’s navy is relatively small and it doesn’t actually pose a threat to most major navies in the world.
Nevertheless, Iran has been equipping its IRGC fast boats and other ships with weapons such as missiles and drones that can pose a threat to commercial ships.
Iran recently sent forces to intercept and hijack two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman and used drones to attack commercial ships.
This shows that Iran’s global naval trip was more about showing off than about actually showing that Iran has global capabilities. Still, Iran does possess capabilities that can endanger shipping in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
Iran also continues to ship oil to Syria and therefore Iran’s navy and its maritime activities matter now more than ever. Therefore the journey of the two Iranian ships was more symbolic than representing a practical achievement.
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