Iran Adds Maritime Harassment, Satellite Launches to List of Regional Escalations

Iran

May 1st, 9:19am

London - Adil al-Salmi

A picture from inside an American warship showing IRGC gun boats in the Arabian Gulf. EPA

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic coincided with boiling US-Iranian tensions that escalated following the assassination of Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassim Soleimani and its retaliation by striking two bases hosting US forces in Iraq in what Iranian Foreign Minister justified as “self-defense.” The killing of Soleimani marked a turning point in the path of tensions that has further complicated the regional situation. In August 2018, Soleimani announced adopting asymmetric warfare against US forces and interests without direct interference from the Iranian armed forces. After Soleimani’s death, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) focused on rearranging its Quds Force proxies in the region, preparing for Soleimani’s successor, Esmail Ghaani, to take over. This coincided with public rage exploding against Iran’s ruling class after the IRGC admitted to downing a Ukrainian passenger plane. These factors have increased the sensitivity of the legislative elections, which were a measure of "regime legitimacy " under the weight of the US policy of "maximum pressure" and a series of bloody protests that spanned over the past three years. On the eve of the first anniversary of US President Donald Trump signing a decree classifying the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the US Central Command reported naval friction between 11 vessels from the Guards and American warships. Washington described the friction as "dangerous and provocative." President Donald Trump later ordered the US Navy to destroy any Iranian boats veering close to US ships at sea. The IRGC, for its part, threatened that it now has anti-ship missiles with a range of 700 km. The Iranian armed forces issued a statement considering the American maritime alliance as a “threat to stability” in the Gulf. The statement warned that “any adventure, harassment or provocation will be met by a firm response from the Iranian armed forces and that the aggressors, especially the United States, will bear the consequences.” Parallel to maritime tensions in Arabian Gulf waters, the IRGC launched a new military satellite and ballistic missile at one time, drawing in criticism from the United States, Israel, and the European trio (France, Germany and Britain) that signed the nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2262271/iran-adds-maritime-harassment-satellite-launches-list-regional-escalations