US concerned as Iranian warships cross Atlantic — reportedly headed for Venezuela and carrying arms



The Biden administration, Pentagon and several U.S. lawmakers are expressing concern as Iranian warships are making their way across the Atlantic Ocean, reportedly headed for Venezuela to make good on delivering arms in a deal the two nations made last year.

What are the details?

Politico reported Wednesday that as of that morning, two Iranian warships believed to be carrying arms "had completed more than half the journey from Iran to Venezuela, and were steaming slowly northwest more than 1,000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa," according to a defense official, noting that this is the furthest the Iranian navy has ventured into the Atlantic.

A source told the outlet that the intelligence community "has evidence that one of the ships...is carrying fast-attack boats, likely intended for sale to Venezuela."

"The sale of the Iranian weapons happened one year ago under the previous [U.S.] administration and like many situations related to Iran under the previous administration — including the breakout of Iran's nuclear program following the Trump administration's reckless withdrawal from the [Iran nuclear deal] — we are working to resolve it through diplomacy," a senior Biden official told the outlet. "But to be clear, Iran sold weapons to Venezuela over a year ago, which we believe was to test the Trump administration's maximum pressure posture."

In reaction to the article, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted, "#Venezuela bought attack boats from #Iran last year, but only now are they trying to deliver them. Ignore the petty sniping from Biden official & focus on what matters. Either #Maduro unconditionally turns them away or U.S. should force them to turn around."

#Venezuela bought attack boats from #Iran last year,but only now are they trying to deliver themIgnore the petty… https://t.co/rxqhDut6du

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1623339906.0

AFP reported that during a congressional hearing on Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addressed the situation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asking the Pentagon chief whether the Biden administration "knows exactly what is on those Iranian vessels."

The Democrat noted that satellite imagery shows the fast-attack boats on the deck of one of the warships, but that "it's still unclear whether those boats were aboard when the ships began their journey."

Blumenthal also pointed out that "there are reports that Venezuela was considering purchasing missiles from Iran, including long range ones."

"I am absolutely concerned about the proliferation of weapons, any type of weapons, in our neighborhood," Austin told Blumenthal at one point, adding, "And so, I share your concern."

The Washington Post reported that the ships travelling through the Atlantic are the Iranian destroyer Sahand, and a support vessel named Makran.

The two ships began their voyage last month according to Iran's deputy Army chief, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, and Iranian state-owned television provided footage of them chopping through the Atlantic waters.

"The Navy is improving its seafaring capacity and proving its long-term durability in unfavorable seas and the Atlantic's unfavorable weather conditions," Sayyari said, according to The Post.

Iran's largest warship sinks after massive fire



Iran's largest warship, the Kharg, sank after catching fire in the early hours Wednesday morning, Sky News reported.

According to the Associated Press, the 679-foot ship sank despite firefighters' valiant efforts to contain the blaze.

Iran's largest navy warship has sunk in the Gulf of Oman after catching fire https://t.co/eIVeUufWYQ

— Sky News (@SkyNews) 1622646444.0

What are the details?

The ship, which was stationed in the Gulf of Oman for a training mission, caught fire around 2:25 a.m. Wednesday.

Photos on social media captured the moment sailors were forced to evacuate the ship as it sank near the port of Jask, near the Strait of Hormuz.

"All efforts to save the vessel were unsuccessful and it sank," Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said in a Wednesday statement on the disaster.

BREAKING 🚨 Largest ship in the Iran’s navy “Kharg” caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman https://t.co/Rs5oZUI3B0

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) 1622616253.0

Iranian state media have yet to issue an official explanation for the sinking of the massive vessel, but Sky News reported that the sinking took place in an area in which there have been "accusations of attacks on ships owned by archenemies Iran and Israel."

In April, Iranian ship Saviz was reportedly targeted with "limpet mines" while it was in the Red Sea. The outlet noted that both Iran and Israel have blamed the other for cargo ship attacks since February.

Sky News reported, "The sinking is the latest in a number of recent naval disasters for Iran. A missile fired during a training exercise in 2020 mistakenly hit a ship — also near the port of Jask, killing 19 sailors; and in 2018 one of its destroyers sank in the Caspian Sea."

Iranian Navy's largest ship, The Kharg, a naval replenishment ship, was set to participate in a training exercise w… https://t.co/Bw0tkx4Z7k

— Freddie Saxon (@WordsmithSaxon) 1622664407.0

According to the Associated Press, Wednesday's disaster "follows a series of mysterious explosions that began in 2019" and appeared to target commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman.

From the report:

Iran denied that, though U.S. Navy footage showed Revolutionary Guard members removing one unexploded limpet mine from a ship. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. Negotiations on saving the accord continue in Vienna.

In April, an Iranian ship called the MV Saviz believed to be a Guard base and anchored for years in the Red Sea off Yemen was targeted in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Israel. It escalated a yearslong shadow war in the Mideast between the two countries, ranging from strikes in Syria, assaults on ships and attacks on Iran's nuclear program.

Fire has broken out at Iranian Army's Kharg vessel. No casualties so far.Telegram channel affiliated with Iranian… https://t.co/cq5661wBLd

— Reza Khaasteh (@Khaaasteh) 1622588324.0

State media reported that 400 sailors and trainee cadets on board the vessel evacuated. At least 33 people were injured in connection with the fire and subsequent sinking.

Mike Connell of the Center for Naval Analysis in Arlington, Virginia, said that the Iranian navy's loss is great.

"For the regular Iranian navy, this vessel was very valuable because it gave them reach," Connell told the Associated Press. "That allowed them to conduct operations far afield. They do have other logistics vessels, but the Kharg was kind of the most capable and the largest."