Iran leader calls for boosting of naval forces
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called 28 November for the country to boost its naval forces as a deterrent against its enemies and hailed the deployment of new ships.
‘Increase your capabilities and readiness as much as you can so that the enemies of Iran will not dare threaten this great nation,’ Khamenei said in a meeting with Iran's naval chiefs, quoted on his official website.
The Islamic republic was confronted by ‘a vast lineup of enemies and rivals’, he said.
Khamenei, quoted in English on his Twitter account, stressed that Iran ‘has no intention of launching a war against anyone’.
But the country ‘should increase our aptitudes so that enemies will fear attacking Iran and threats against Iranian nation will perish’.
He welcomed the commissioning this week of a destroyer and two submarines, all three manufactured in Iran, as signs of ‘ever increasing progress’.
Defence Minister Amir Hatami, quoted by the official news agency IRNA, said two Ghadir-class submarines are to enter service on 29 November and a new destroyer two days later.
Iran considers itself the historic guardian of the Gulf and regularly condemns the US deployment of naval and air forces in the strategic waterway.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![New Zealand's HMNZS Te Mana successfully fires first Sea Ceptor missile]()
New Zealand's HMNZS Te Mana successfully fires first Sea Ceptor missile
CMS 330 is a combat management system developed by Lockheed Martin Canada that serves as the backbone for several Canadian and Chilean ship classes and has been installed on RNZN Anzac-class frigates.
-
![Turkey’s ASFAT on track to deliver first Hisar OPV in 2024]()
Turkey’s ASFAT on track to deliver first Hisar OPV in 2024
While outfitting activities on the first two Hisar-class OPVs have been advancing at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, discussions for additional platforms continue.
-
![Future of the South African Navy looks bleak despite new ships entering service]()
Future of the South African Navy looks bleak despite new ships entering service
The commissioning of SAS King Shaka Zulu, a Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessel, into the South African Navy masks serious problems for the service as fleet availability falls dangerously low and capability atrophies.
-
![Babcock wins UK Royal Navy’s Dreadnought support contracts]()
Babcock wins UK Royal Navy’s Dreadnought support contracts
Babcock has won contracts worth more than £120 million to support the development and delivery of the Dreadnought-class submarines for the UK’s Royal Navy.
-
![Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?]()
Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?
With funding from the European Defence Fund and partner countries, the European Patrol Corvette programme has an opportunity to become the standard bearer for defence procurement and potentially offer a route forward for naval shipbuilding in Europe.
-
![Portugal contracts Damen for multi-purpose vessel designed for integrated uncrewed air and sea systems]()
Portugal contracts Damen for multi-purpose vessel designed for integrated uncrewed air and sea systems
The new ship’s primary roles will be search and rescue, emergency relief and oceanic research but will also be used for naval support operations and maritime safety.
