Iran Calls Off Plan to Send Warships to the Atlantic

Rise in piracy in the Gulf of Aden cited as the reason.

Just send some carpets, pistachios and caviar to US Navy servicemen , everything will be fine :)

Iranian Navy announced today that it has called off plan to deploy warships near U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean.IRIN Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in Tehran such changes in naval plans are routine, “considering the situation in the region.” (Fars News Agency, 13 April)

Adm. Sayyari, however, did not provide specific reasons for the change, but hinted that the “rise in piracy in the Gulf of Aden” might have prompted the decision to cancel deployment to the Atlantic.In January, Iranian navy announced that its deployed naval group, consisting of a frigate and a replenishment ship, were making a voyage to the Atlantic, with a port visit to South Africa, to demonstrate the country's ability to project power beyond the Middle East.

File photo: IRINS Sabalan (73) Alvand-class frigate (above), and IRINS Kharg (431) Kharg-class replenishment ship (below) were part of Iran’s 29th Deployed Naval Group that were to reach the Atlantic. (FNA)