The Royal Navy has seized anti-tank weapons and ballistic missile components that were being smuggled in the Gulf of Oman.
The operation involved Royal Marines from 42 Commando, who swiftly responded to the situation by launching their Wildcat helicopter to track the vessel carrying the contraband.
The smugglers attempted to evade the 815 Naval Air Squadron helicopter and ignored all radio calls instructing them to stop. Their vessel was subsequently intercepted by the British frigate before they could enter Iranian territorial waters.
Upon searching the suspect craft, the Royal Marines boarding team discovered several packages containing Iranian versions of Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, known as ‘Dehlavieh’ in Iran, as well as medium-range ballistic missile components.
The Royal Navy say that to ensure safety, the Royal Navy bomb disposal and ordnance specialists conducted thorough checks on the weapons before bringing them back onboard HMS Lancaster for inspection.
The operation was initiated when an American drone detected the high-speed movement of the skiff through international waters in the darkness.
The United Nations has been informed of the seizure and is invited to conduct its own inspection of the materiel in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2231.
Lancaster’s Commanding Officer Commander Paul Irving said in this release:
“This boarding was a fantastic team effort, and I’m really proud of the way the whole ship’s company worked together to achieve such a brilliant result.”
It’s the third weapons cache seized by the Royal Navy in the region inside 13 months.
Excellent. Well done Lancaster and the Royals.
Good on 42.
You compare this level of activity to the C17’s full of materiel shutting to Poland and you understand why things are increasingly asymmetric on the battlefield.
Ukraine troops are increasingly experience and hardened and their weapons are, if anything, rapidly improving.
The Russians have lost most of the ‘elite’ troops and any semi decent kit that hadn’t been sold off and are increasingly using kit that should be in museums.
Iran could expect strikes from a certain country at this rate.
“Iran could now produce “one bomb’s worth of fissile material” in “about 12 days,” a top US Defense Department official said Tuesday.
According to the confidential IAEA report, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% had grown by 25.2 kg to 87.5 kg since the agency’s last quarterly report.”
LINK
The Israelis have made it plain. No Iranian bomb.
Soon we will gather on the West’s graveyard. Invasions, wars, confiscations…. are not heading to the graveyard. Viva Russia, China, India and 75% of the rest of the global south.
‘When you don’t succeed, …’ Try failing all over again.
These’s a very interesting ending regards some of these “Iranian” arms shipments that have been getting intercepted, they are sent to the Ukraine. Every now and again a photo emerges of the latest Iranian weapon or ammo spotted in Iran. The last one i saw last week was of 125mm OF19 (HE-FRAG) Tank ammo. Oryx Blog wrote about the very subject last September
‘ … spotted in Ukraine …?
Thanks for the information. Murky old work, arms dealing.
Thanks mate, noted
Oh, dear! The Iranians won’t like that! Good.
Congratulations Lancaster and embarked forces.
Most Iranians do not like the Islamic Republic.
And yet they supported the 1979 revolution en-masse, which was clearly about – de-westernising their society, and going back to medieval Islamic Jurisprudence …. I hope if Iran has another revolution they abandon religion altogether.
The Islamic Republic uses religion as a tool and I have no problem with religion.
I know Amin. I have met some. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is who we have to deal with. My country is more than a little responsible for this state of affairs. Hope better times will come soon.
I hope all these weapons, intercepted by UK, US & French warships, end up being given to Ukraine.
Send anything that’s sized straight to Ukraine asp
Great teamwork! More of this
Try not to mess with Iran. Just remember the 26 American marines they arrested and imprisoned for few weeks. They are fearless and goal oriented. Do not much rely on Royal this or that, they are brave.