Amidst escalating tensions following the first direct confrontation between the Yemeni Houthi group and the US Navy in the Red Sea, the Iranian destroyer "Alborz" along with the "Bushehr" military ship have crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This comes at a time when Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam is in Tehran holding intensive talks with senior Iranian officials.
The "Tasnim" news agency, closely affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, officially states that the Iranian fleet is conducting routine tasks in international waters to secure shipping lanes and combat sea piracy, among other missions. However, Iranian circles suggest that their country's move comes in response to London's threat of a direct strike against the Iran-allied Houthi group.
The Iranian maneuver occurred merely hours after a phone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian and his British counterpart David Cameron regarding developments in the Red Sea. Cameron stated in a tweet on the "X" platform, "I made it clear that Iran shares in the responsibility for preventing these attacks, given its long-term support of the Houthis."
Reasons and Objectives
Commenting on the reason for sending its fleet to the Red Sea at this time, retired Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Hossein Kanani Moghadam believes it is "a response to the militarization of the Red Sea and the muscle-flexing of foreign forces in it."
In his discussion with Al Jazeera Net, Kanani Moghadam points to Mohammed Abdul Salam's ongoing visit to Tehran, asserting that Tehran will not leave its Houthi allies alone "in the face of Zionist-American arrogance." He added that the Islamic Republic had previously warned that it would not allow foreigners to meddle in "our region."
Prior to the formation of the "Guardian of Prosperity" coalition last month to counter the Houthis, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned the United States that it would "face exceptional problems if it wanted to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea," stating that "no one can act in a region where Iran holds the upper hand."
The former Revolutionary Guards leader believes the Red Sea has become redder with the bloodshed of 10 Houthis from an American attack this week, considering the Iranian fleet's stationing near "Bab el-Mandeb" as a message of support to the Houthis and a deterrent to the American alliance and its adventures there.
Escalating Tension
Kanani continued, indicating that the Iranian military move towards the Red Sea, close to the Yemeni ally, sends a stark warning message to both the American and British sides about the consequences of any transgressions against the Houthis, as they are an integral part of the resistance axis. He emphasized that Tehran will not start a war in the Red Sea unless foreign forces attack its interests.
He noted that security in the Red Sea can only be re-established by the people of the region, not foreign forces, adding that the Houthi group controls the "Bab el-Mandeb" Strait, making it a second strategic waterway after the "Hormuz" Strait under the supervision of the resistance axis.
The spokesperson stressed that the Yemeni side is conducting operations in support of the oppressed in Palestine and exerts pressure on the Zionist enemy to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, with no intention of disrupting maritime navigation but targeting ships associated with the Zionist entity only.
He concluded that all indicators suggest an intensification of tensions in the Red Sea waters in the coming period if the Zionist entity aligns with the extermination of the Palestinian people backed by Western support.
Kanani confirmed that the Yemeni side will not back down from its pledge to support the people of Gaza and intends to continue closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to ships heading to Israel. Thus, American intervention against the Houthis might set the already tense region ablaze.
Show of Power
In contrast, Ali Bigdeli, Professor of International Relations at Shahid Beheshti University, sees his country's decision to mobilize its naval fleet towards the Red Sea as "a show of power and a message of support for the Houthis." He explained that the Alborz destroyer is very old and despite being upgraded over the past years, its capabilities are not sufficient to face international fleets in the area.
The Iranian academic, in his talk to Al Jazeera Net, dismissed the possibility of real conflict between Iranian warships and Western ones near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, confirming that Tehran and Western capitals, including Washington, do not seek escalation at this time.
He interprets the conversations of Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam in Tehran as a coordination effort between the Iranian and Yemeni sides following messages directed at the Islamic Republic from Western countries considering it a close ally of the Houthis.
Bigdeli believes that Iran may have received Western signals urging Tehran to press the Houthis to de-escalate tensions in the Red Sea. In return, Iran demands Western pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing war on Gaza, and Tehran may respond positively to any Western steps aimed at achieving that.
