Iranian Warships Heading to the US

A report by BBC states that Iranian warships are sailing close to US maritime borders for the first time.

The Fars news agency reported overnight on Saturday that several ships are already in the Atlantic and are making their way to the edge of US territorial waters.

The agency said it was part of “Iran’s response to Washington’s beefed up naval presence in the Persian Gulf.”

Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad is reported to have said: “Iran’s military fleet is approaching the United States’ maritime borders, and this move has a message.” Haddad, described as commander of the Iranian navy’s northern fleet, said the vessels had started their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean via “waters near South Africa”. (source)

The report could not be confirmed independently.

In Washington, a US defense official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, cast doubt on the claims but added that “ships are free to operate in international waters.”

Iran has a small navy, made up mostly of aging vessels at least 35 years old and a handful of home-built newer frigates. Some are fitted with Chinese ship-to-ship missiles.

It came as Iran agreed to start addressing UN nuclear agency suspicions that it may have worked on designing a nuclear weapon.

What will happen if Iran crosses the US maritime border is unknown at this point.