Iran-US tensions might flare up as IRGC upgrades itself to a multi-purpose warship
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Alaina
- . November 21, 2020
- . Update: November 22, 2020 2:57 am
On Thursday, Iran’s elite wing of armed forces, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps disclosed to the world its new multi-purpose warship. The vessel, named after slain Guard naval commander Abdollah Roudaki, is 150 meters long. The images of the vessel were made available though IRGC’s official website via SEPAH News, which showed it sailing through the Gulf waters during it’s inauguration.
The images of the guard ship revealed that it could carry and launch surface-to-surface missiles and anti-aircraft missiles. It vessel also carried four small fast boats, the kind the Guard use for the patrolling purposes in the Arabian Gulf. The ship was also mounted with machine guns and included a landing pad for helicopters.
Many observers believed that it was Iran’s response to US forces patrolling in the region’s water bodies through its Fifth Fleet, based out of Bahrain-based. Iran wanted to launch a strong warship to beat US aircraft carriers which routinely sails through Mideast waters and to counter the rising presence Israel in the region, under US’ shadow. It would inaccurate to say the new Iranian warship is better than US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, which is 332 meters (1,092 feet) long. But it would give latter a touch competition in case of confrontation.
IRGC commander, Ali Reza Tangsiri, said that the new warship was launched as his forces wanted to travel beyond the Gulf waters for deep-water patrolling. Usually, the Guard oversee the waters of the Arabian Gulf, while Iran’s navy keep a watch over the Gulf of Oman and beyond. “Presence and assignments in the Indian Ocean is our right,” Tangsiri said.
