NBC News – Iran on Saturday confirmed seizure of a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker as it traveled through the narrow Strait of Hormuz over violations including carrying an illegal consignment, state media reported.

France 24 – More than sixty people were killed in an explosion over the port of Shahid Rajaee in Iran on April 26. Several sources designate a cargo as responsible for the explosion: containers containing sodium perchlorate – a substance necessary for the manufacture of missile fuel. If the causes remain unclear, the tragedy highlights the role of supply ships, connecting China to Iran, and which seek to hide their activities.

(In French) (Thanks to Alain)

La Libre – Iranian shipping carriers use their trade route to the port of Antwerp as a cover for anti-Western activities, the newspaper De Tijd wrote in an investigation on Friday. Six ships are suspected of espionage, of helping the Houthi rebels in their attacks on Western ships and of transporting weapons to Syria and Russia, among others.

(In French)

(Thanks to Alain)

Defense News – China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran’s rapidly expanding nuclear program and as Yemen’s Houthi rebels threaten new attacks on ships.

Mehr – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has unveiled a new high-speed vessel equipped with advanced cruise missiles capable of targeting enemy destroyers, marking a significant enhancement in Iran’s naval defense capabilities.

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – On February 06, 2025, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ accepted the delivery of the new homegrown drone and helicopter carrier ship Shahid Bahman Bagheri during a ceremony in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

BulgarianMilitary.com – Iran revealed an underground naval missile base in a secret location somewhere in the Persian Gulf last night

(Thanks to Alain)

The War Zone – While most intelligence-gathering ships are based on commercial designs or specifications, Iran’s new spy ship uses a Mowj class corvette hull.

Covert Shores – The Iranian IRGC’s (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) latest ambitious naval project, the drone carrier Shahid Bagheri (C-110-4), has sailed.

(Thanks to Alain)

Army Recognition – According to information published by Tasnim on November 23, 2024, on the occasion of the Iranian Navy Day, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of the Iranian Navy, announced significant advancements in the country’s naval capabilities. He highlighted the addition of new domestically-built submarines to the fleet, emphasizing Iran’s strategic shift toward maritime power and its role in shaping regional and international dynamics.

(Thanks to Alain)

VOA – Naval drills hosted by Iran with the participation of Russia and Oman and observed by nine other countries began in the Indian Ocean on Saturday.

The War Zone – A converted commercial ship with an angled flight deck, the Shahid Bagheri looks strange but could fill a mission set that Iran has been developing for years.

Naval News – One of Iran’s most modern frigates, the Sahand, has capsized in Bandar Abbas. Recent upgrades may have made the ship more top-heavy.

RUSI – In January 2024 Iran successfully tested the launch of ballistic missiles housed in cargo containers from the deck of a container ship, giving it the ability to launch missile strikes from new and previously unexpected vectors and from a highly survivable platform. This has significantly increased Iran’s naval strike effectiveness.

BBC – Iran has seized a commercial ship with links to Israel as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday.

The War Zone – Fired from a sea base-like vessel, Iran’s launching of ballistic missiles via shipping containers could have wide-ranging implications.

BBC – Iran has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.

Covert Shores – Iran showcased another batch of new boats for the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp). The exact number of new vessels in these parades needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. But there is no doubt that the IRGC’s naval branch is growing in size and capability. It is gaining some increasingly potent equipment and some modern vessels. This time a new missile boat stole the show. The Abu Mahdi class is the latestmissile corvette for the IRGC. It is a catamaran with low-observable shaping and a generally futuristic appearance. 

(Thanks to Alain)

TRTFrancais – Iran has deployed one of its warships in the Red Sea in a context of tensions, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting merchant ships to or from Israel.

(In French)

(Thanks to Alain)

BBC – The US said the Chem Pluto was hit by “a one-way attack drone fired from Iran”. It is believed to be the first time the US has publicly accused Iran of targeting a ship directly.

Tehran Times –  Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps will soon be equipped with a new generation of Ghadir and Fateh submarines.

(Thanks to Alain)

Jerusalem Post – Iran’s top naval officer Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s naval forces, arrived in Russia on Saturday to participate in a parade that marks the anniversary of the creation of the Russian navy.

(Thanks to Alain)

War on the Rocks – When discussing the risks posed by Iran’s asymmetric capabilities and proxy tactics at sea, observers have overlooked the possibility of Tehran employing a historical maritime strategy called the fleet-in-being. Going back to the 17th century, the fleet-in-being strategy has allowed inferior navies to challenge stronger ones in oceans around the world. 

USNI News – Officials in Tehran are claiming the warship that attempted to seize an oil tanker operating off the coast of Oman acted under a court order, according to Iranian state-controlled media.

USNI News – An Iranian warship fired on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman before leaving the scene after U.S. naval forces arrived.