On Monday, Iranian state media reported that the Alborz, an Alvand class destroyer, entered the Red Sea via the Bab al-Mandab Strait. There was no mention as to what the warship’s specific mission was.
The vessel’s presence comes at a time of heightened tensions in the waterway due to repeated attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed organization has stated that the reason for their belligerent actions is to show support for the Hamas terror group as they fight the Israeli military in Gaza.
The Houthi’s have also fired missiles and attack drones directly at southern Israel.
On Sunday, the U.S. Navy defended the container ship, Maersk Hangzhou, from a Houthi surface attack. The incident resulted in the ship's owners suspending operations in the area for 48 hours. Other ocean transport carriers have recently been avoiding the region, choosing to sail the longer and more expensive journey around the African continent.
The Alborz's arrival comes at a time when Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, held an official meeting with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of the Iran regime's Supreme National Security Council. During this recent encounter, Ahmadian praised the Houthi's for fighting against “Zionist aggression.”
The U.S. Navy's 6th fleet declined comment on this situation.
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