Iran’s Navy unveils Helicopter Carrier and 340 new Missile Firing Speedboats

Iran has launched a naval exercise in the Indian Ocean, to test out two of its newest domestically-built warships. The drill takes place amid tensions with the US regime, and days after Iran seized a South Korean tanker.

On January 4, Iran seized a South Korean tanker, citing environmental violations. The incident occurred as Tehran was demanding that Seoul unblock the country’s assets held in South Korean banks.

Also, Iran unveiled its latest homegrown military hardware, capable of cruising at 90 knots p/h, was unveiled in front of the armed forces top brass on Monday amid a buildup of foreign naval assets in the Persian Gulf.

The Iranian Navy’s Deputy Commander for Coordination, Rear Admiral Hamzeh Ali Kaviani, said the purpose of the two-day ‘Eghtedar 99’ drill is to test the ability to “react in a timely and effective manner” against enemy threats.

The domestically-built ‘Makran’ helicopter carrier officially joined the Navy in January 2021. A Press TV reporter described the new vessel as one of the “biggest and largest” warships ever developed by Tehran and reported that it can travel for 1,000 days without docking.

The ship can carry seven helicopters and will support other warships during operations in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Oman.

The speedboats will be part of the Iranian Navy and will operate in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Caspian Sea, Rear Admiral Tangsiri told reporters ahead of a ceremony to inaugurate 340 navy speedboats in the port city of Bandar Abbas.

Tangsiri contended that for many years, the foreign forces distorted regional security and have attempted to legitimize their illegal deployment in the region. In January, the Pentagon reversed its decision to pull the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from the Middle East.

Iran has been increasingly keen to show off its military might in early 2021, hosting a series of war-games along the Persian Gulf and conducting missile tests.

RT. com / ABC Flash Point Military News 2021.