Iran’s Dangerous Maritime Activities Prompt Global Concern

(New York, N.Y.) — U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told reporters on Tuesday that the surge in vessels carrying weapons from Iran and attacks on commercial vessels “has the attention of everyone.” His remarks punctuate global concerns about how Iran threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security around the world.

Iran uses the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Navy (IRGCN) to challenge global economic security and the broader regional security architecture, has used international shipping companies as well as smaller fishing vessels to transport weaponry to its terror proxy networks, attacked commercial vessels with drones, and taken vessels hostage to extract concessions from the international community. 

The U.S. has intercepted a wide range of matériel bound for the Houthis in recent months. CNN reported in November that the U.S. Navy had intercepted a vessel carrying more than 70 tons of ammonium perchlorate and 100 tons of urea fertilizer. In the weeks following, the U.S. announced it had intercepted 50 tons of ammunition, fuses, and propellants for rockets, as well as a vessel carrying more than 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles.  

U.S. allies are falling victim to Iran’s malign maritime activities and illegal shipments. Saudi Arabia has borne the brunt of the attacks from Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, while just last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran had “attacked an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf and struck at the international freedom of navigation.” Ambrey Intelligence, a British maritime security company, confirmed to Reuters that Iranian drones attacked two tankers and one bulk carrier in the Arabian Sea.  

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), in its report Iran’s Threat to Maritime Security, identified 28 specific instances in which the IRGCN hijacked, abducted, or seized seafaring vessels on international waters; 24 interdictions of Iranian weapons or drugs at sea; 22 unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers by the IRGCN in close proximity to U.S. Navy vessels; 14 IRGCN UAV, missile, or mine attacks at sea; 11 Iran-backed Houthi attacks at sea; and other high-profile instances of Iran menacing maritime channels and exploiting the shipping industry to nefarious ends.  

To read UANI’s report Iran’s Threat to Maritime Security, please click here.

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