IRGC Warship Sails Past Island Hosting US Forces in Indian Ocean
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An oceangoing warship of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy that returned home after a mission in the international waters has sailed past Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean on which American military forces are stationed, a commander said.
In remarks on Sunday, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said the ‘Shahid Mahdavi’ oceangoing warship returned home on May 18 after a 39-day overseas mission.
During its journey, the warship sailed across major and strategic straits, such as the Strait of Malacca, and crossed the zero degrees latitude, the Equator, by sailing in regions that the US has defined as the areas of operation of its fifth and seventh fleets, the commander said.
Rear Admiral Tangsiri noted that the oceangoing warship also managed to approach Diego Garcia island during the mission, where American military forces are stationed.
Diego Garcia is a militarized atoll just south of the Equator in the central Indian Ocean and the largest of the 60 small islands of the Chagos Archipelago.
The commander said the bulk of servicemen on board the IRGC’s oceangoing warship were young sailors that have been in military service for only seven years.
The oceangoing warship, equipped with long-range ballistic and cruise missiles, is named after IRGC’s late naval commander Nader Mahdavi.
Mahdavi oceangoing warship joined the IRGC Navy’s fleet in March 2023.
The multi-purpose heavy warship is designed for long-range operations. It weighs more than 2,100 tons and is 240 meters in length and 27 meters in width.
Equipped with a 3-dimensional phased array radar, sea-to-sea and sea-to-air missiles, and advanced communication systems for electronic warfare, the warship is capable of carrying different types of helicopters, drones and speedboats.
In February 2024, the IRGC Navy launched two ballistic missiles from inside two containers on board the Mahdavi oceangoing warship.
IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami said the new achievement has extended the IRGC’s range of influence and naval power up to any desired spot.