--- title: "Iranian Navy Ships Enter The English Channel" description: "The sea base ship Makran and Iran’s most advanced frigate are supposedly headed for the Baltic Sea." date: "2021-07-19" modified: "2021-07-19" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/41600/iranian-navy-ships-enter-the-english-channel" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Iran" - "Iranian Navy" - "Middle East" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Sea" - "United Kingdom" tags: - "Baltic Sea" - "Caspian Sea" - "English Channel" - "forward base ship" - "Iran" - "IRIN" - "Islamic Republic of Iran Navy" - "Kharg" - "Makran" - "Royal Navy" - "russia" - "Sahand" - "Syria" --- # Iranian Navy Ships Enter The English Channel ![]() *www.twz.com* In a surprising turn of events, a pair of warships from the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, or IRIN have broken out of the Atlantic and headed into the English Channel, where they were noted today. The final destination of the two vessels, the [“sea base ship” *Makran*]() and the frigate *Sahand*, [Iran’s most modern warship](), is unclear, but their passage would conform with previous reports that they are headed to the Russian port of St. Petersburg for the naval parade that takes place there later this month. Satellite photographs first indicated that the Iranian warships were headed toward the English Channel before their presence in these waters was confirmed by data on [MarineTraffic](), an aggregator that provides real-time transponder information on ship movements. ![message-editor%2F1626702346356-irin\_makran.jpeg]() *The former oil tanker, IRINS *Makran*., *IRANIAN STATE MEDIA** While it is expected that the U.K. Royal Navy will be keeping a close eye on the Iranian vessels, earlier today they appeared to be shadowed by RRS *Sir David Attenborough*, a specialist [research vessel]() owned by the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council and scheduled to make its first research trip to the Antarctic later this year. ![message-editor%2F1626712777669-screenshot2021-07-19at6.24.17pm.png]() *The passage of the IRINS *Makran*, based on publically available Automated Identification System (AIS) transmissions., *marinetraffic.com** https://twitter.com/_/status/1417015614590361601 After departing Iran last April, *Makran* and *Sahand* had [rounded the Cape of Good Hope](), in what was the first time that Iranian naval vessels had operated in the Atlantic Ocean. For a while, it was anticipated that they might cross the ocean [headed for Venezuela](), to deliver weapons and/or oil. In particular, the appearance of [seven missile boats]() on the deck of the *Makran*, as well as what seemed to be a full load of oil or fuel, suggested it might be delivering these cargoes to its ally in South America, as part of expanding military and non-military cooperation between the two countries. https://twitter.com/_/status/1400338289874411525 Suspicions then turned to a possible transport to Syria, where the Assad regime has been subject to long-running Iranian support, however, after spending around a week off Dakar, Senegal, the Iranian warships continued up the coast of West Africa and then rounded the Iberian peninsula and France. https://twitter.com/_/status/1416633572014891011 https://twitter.com/_/status/1416373265866571781 Commissioned earlier this year, the *Makran* is a former oil tanker and, with a length of 755 feet, is the largest vessel in the IRIN fleet, drawing comparisons with the [U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Bases (ESB)](), which are 764 feet long. https://youtube.com/embed/8qgo2EDfq48 The *Makran* is able to accommodate helicopters, but lacks hangars, and has also been used on maneuvers with drones, fast attack craft, and mini-submarines. However, there are also concerns that Iran may exploit a legal gray area afforded by the vessel’s military status and use it to transport cargoes to countries under international sanctions, such as Syria and Venezuela. Previous Iranian efforts to deliver fuel to both Venezuela and Syria using merchant tankers have led to these vessels [being impounded](), while *Makran* is afforded additional protections under international law. Iranian media has also claimed that the *Makran* will be able to undertake other missions, too, including electronic warfare and special operations. In the past, Rear Admiral Khanzadi has also talked of the vessel’s “missile and weapons capabilities,” although it is not clear what these might consist of. As a naval auxiliary, however, *Makran* would be [prohibited]() from launching attacks during a conflict, at least in a legal sense, although it’s questionable whether the regime in Tehran would necessarily pay heed to that, especially in a time of heightened tensions. If anything, the prestige and importance of the *Makran* have only increased in the months since it was commissioned, following the loss of [the replenishment ship *Kharg*](), which caught fire and sunk in the Gulf of Oman, last month. The *Kharg* had been one of Iran’s most important naval vessels and was once the biggest in its fleet. This vessel had been used to support operations further from Iran’s own shores, including a high-profile visit to China in 2013. ![message-editor%2F1626705472164-kharg\_sinking.jpeg]() *The sinking of the *Kharg*, after a fire in the Gulf of Oman last June 2., *FARS/IRAN STATE MEDIA** Accompanying the *Makran*, the *Sahand* has in the past been described by Iran as [a destroyer](), with a displacement of 2,000 tons, it is more accurately categorized as a frigate or even a corvette. The design is a derivative of [British-made warships]() that were supplied to the country in the 1970s, before the Iranian Revolution. The *Sahand* is fitted with launchers for[ Qader]() subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as [Sayyad-2]() surface-to-air missiles, an Iranian adaptation of the U.S. [RIM-66 Standard Missile-1]() (SM-1). The warship also features a 76mm main gun and torpedo tubes, as well as various automatic cannons and machine guns for close-in defense. https://youtube.com/embed/ok_0RhvAm4Q The naval parade in St. Petersburg, planned for July 25, will mark the Russian Navy’s 325th anniversary. As well as the likely appearance of the two Iranian warships, the event is also [planned to feature]() three nuclear-powered submarines from the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. These are the [*Borei-A* class]() ballistic missile submarine *Knyaz Vladimir*, the [*Oscar II* class]() cruise missile submarine *Orel*, and the [*Akula II* class]() nuclear-powered attack submarine *Vepr*. Earlier this month, a writer for Iran’s *Tasnim News Agency* tweeted that Iranian warships were expected to join the naval parade in St. Petersburg, together with the commander of the IRIN, Hossein Khanzadi. https://twitter.com/_/status/1414934170661490689 While the Atlantic deployment is a first for the IRIN, sending just two vessels is little more than a token force, but the importance lies not so much in the overall capabilities brought to bear, but in the demonstration of a new area of operations for the service, beyond the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In the past, the IRIN has operated further afield, too, but primarily in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the northwest portion of the Indian Ocean. The ability to conduct long-duration, long-endurance missions in the Atlantic confirms that the service is at least starting to make good on its ambitions to become a blue-water navy. ![message-editor%2F1626713085194-makran\_navire\_12.jpg]() *IRINS *Makran*, photographed earlier this year., *Morteza Fakhri Nezhad/Wikimedia Commons** As well as a rare appearance in northern European waters for the *Makran* and *Sahand* — and for the IRIN in general — the apparent upcoming visit to the Baltic Sea is a mark of the deepening military relationship between Moscow and Tehran. In recent months, the IRIN and Russian Navy have taken part in [joint maneuvers]() in the Caspian Sea, while there have been [repeated reports]() that Iran has offered Russia the use of its own naval bases on its Gulf coast, which would extend the geographical area available for combined operations beyond the landlocked Caspian and into the wider Persian Gulf, and via the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman. https://twitter.com/_/status/1309331359924711424 Certainly, both Iran and Russia share interests not only in supporting the Assad regime in the ongoing civil war in Syria but would also both benefit from efforts to frustrate the United States’ enduring presence in the Gulf and in the Mediterranean. At the same time, the lifting of United Nations restrictions on Iranian arms imports once again provides Russia, in particular, with a potential client for its advanced weapons systems. With that in mind, while the imminent presence of two Iranian warships in Russian Navy celebrations in St. Petersburg is chiefly ceremonial, it could also be a portent of increasing naval cooperation between the two countries in the years to come. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()