Iran to Deploy Warships to Latin America, Gulf of Mexico

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, a newly appointed naval commander, stated that the navy will deploy ships across the Atlantic Ocean where they will then visit friendly countries in South America before raising the Iranian flag in the Gulf of Mexico, which is in close in proximity to the U.S.

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“Our fleet of warships will be sent to the Atlantic Ocean in the near future and will visit one of the friendly states in South America and the Gulf of Mexico,” Khanzadi said according to a quote by the Iranian Fars news agency.

Iranian officials have stressed that these naval operations will be peaceful.

The announcement comes amid recent hostilities in the Persian Gulf between U.S. and Iranian forces in which U.S. forces stationed in Bahrain threatened Iranian vessels.

In July, a U.S. Navy patrol boat fired two shots at an Iranian vessel which it reported was making hostile moves towards it. The boat was reportedly conducting routine excercises.

The U.S. Department of Defense noted in August that 14 “unsafe” engagements took place between the U.S. and Iran in the Persian Gulf during 2017.

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“Sailing in open waters between Europe and Americas should be the navy’s goal, which will be realized in the near future,” Iranian Army Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in a statement, noting the importance of showing the navy’s strength.

In 2014, Iran had previously announced the deployment of ships to the Western Hemisphere, including the Gulf of Mexico amid sparring with U.S. vessels in the Persian Gulf, but these plans were abruptly canceled.

Khanzadi pointed out that "the appearance of our vessels in the Mediterranean and Suez Canal shocked the world and the U.S. also made comments on it."

Iran has been feeling the pressure of U.S. military presence near its border as the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is stationed in Bahrain, the U.S.’ largest military base in the Middle East that hosts 10,000 troops is stationed in Qatar, and the U.S. has thousands of troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, which both border Iran.