Freedom of Navigation
Hello everybody!
After plentiful of pushing by the United Arab Emirates in particular, the last two days, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) ran a so-called ‘Freedom of Navigation’ (FON) operation in the Hormuz.
That ‘something’s going to happen’ became obvious during the evening of 3 May, when the IRGC-N expanded its self-declared ‘no-go zone’ in the Strait. Along what’s shown on this map:
‘Therefore’, the IRGC-N ordered all the international merchants anchored close to these two lines, away towards the south. Most have followed the order - and that already during the night from 3 to 4 May.
How much this might have influenced subsequent US and Emirati actions: no idea. Haven’t found any kind of their commentary in response.
Then, on 4 May around 17.00hrs local time, the CENTCOM initiated the FON. As first, all the airliners about to depart airports in the UAE, or about to land there, were ordered to either remain on the ground, or land somewhere else. I.e. the CENTCOM ‘cleared’ the local skies.
Then a lots of US aircraft appeared on the scene: at least two Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (USN), at least one MQ-4C UAV (USN), up to 20 Boeing KC-46A and KC-135R tankers (USAF), 12 F/A-18C/D fighter-bombers (USMC, forward deployed in the UAE), and numerous F/A-18E/F fighter-bombers from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72; this is underway somewhere in the southern Gulf of Oman).
At the sea… and as first, four… well… ‘vessels’ of the USN (two were certainly destroyers of the Arleigh Burke-class, not sure about the other two), approached the Sirri island from the west, moving in direction of the Hormuz.
However, instead of continuing into the Strait, they then turned south and distanced towards the UAE. Guess, this was a ‘demonstration’ group, sent to distract the Iranians away from the actual group of ships. The latter apparently consisted of two LCS’ (litoral warfare ships): these are vessels custom-tailored for operations close to the coast, i.e. in ‘confined’ waters like those of the Hormuz. Relatively small, agile ships, armed with one 57mm gun and one launcher for RIM-116 RAM air-defence missiles, with stealth construction, enough space for two helicopters, since last year armed with attack drones, having a stern ramp for operating small boats etc.
The two LCS’ moved along what the US-Americans claim is a 'safe corridor', very close to the coast of Oman. Some call this the ‘safe-’ and/or ‘green route’, as marked on the map below.
This route is inside Omani territorial waters, very close to the coast, leading through an area dotted with lots of rocks. I.e. navigating there is anything else than easy, or ‘safe’.
Point is: the two LCS’ were escorting MV Alliance Fairfax - a US-flagged vehicle carrier.
When the IRGC-N warned them off, the Americans opened fire at the IRGC-N's speedboats and claimed the destruction of six. The IRGC denied any losses, and returned fire. Between others, it claimed to have fired two missiles (or ‘two warning shots’) at one of the LCS' (the CENTCOM is lying that Iran claimed to have 'hit' one of USN warships: IRGC never claimed that). Furthermore, the IRGC then escalated by firing a mix of ballistic- and cruise missiles, and attack UAVs at the UAE. At least two of its cruise missiles were launched all the way from the Shiraz area.
The UAE claimed all the incoming missiles (including 12 ballistic missiles) and attack UAVs for shot down. Local contact say: at least one of missiles was felled by an Israeli air defence system deployed in the country.
However, numerous Iranian projectiles have hit their targets. Inside the Persian Gulf, they hit two merchants: one was South Korea-owned, US- or Panama-flagged HMM Namu, anchored off Umm al-Quwain. This was hit by two UAVs. The other was one of UAE-owned tankers (this was meanwhile officially confirmed: that vessel was stuck by two UAVs). In the Gulf of Oman, the IRGC hit the very large crude carrier (VLCC, i.e. ‘tanker’) MV Barakah, anchored off the coast - and the petrochemical facility in the port of Fujairah:
The UAE began pushing for retaliation strikes. Washington seems to have said, ‘OK, you do it, but we’re only going to support’. As mentioned above, up to 20 USAF tankers were airborne over the Persian Gulf as the two LCS and the merchant were passing the Hormuz: whether any of these were supporting UAE Air Force (UAEAF) operations - no idea. Exactly how many UAEAF jets were involved, what was their type, and what were their targets etc. is also unclear (the UAE is never releasing any kind of such data). Known is only that around 01.30hrs local time, yesterday in the morning, the Iranian social media accounts from the Bandar-e Abbas area, and from the Qeshm Island, reported sounds of jet engines, several detonations, vibrations etc., and that two missiles approaching NAS Shahid Rajaee (one of two ports of Bandar-e Abbas) were shot down by Iranian air defences.
Something like a ‘second wave’ of UAEAF air strikes seems to have been undertaken around 04.00hrs local time, when additional explosions, sounds of jet engines etc were reported from the Qeshm island and the Bandar-e Abbas area. The Iranians reacted with a number of SAMs, some of which seem to have shot down several of incoming Emirati weapons.
By the morning of yesterday, the CENTCOM’s FON was actually over, as the two LCS’ and the escorted merchant were already in the Gulf of Oman. However, numerous USAF tankers were still airborne, most of them in an ‘orbit’ south/south-west of the Sirri island. Then, around the noon, and in a matter of some 10-15 minutes, two of USAF tankers in question - a KC-46A (18-46048) and a KC-135R - started squawking 7700 ('emergency alert'). Both were operating over exactly the same area, right near the Sirri Island, and both then distanced in western direction.
What kind of emergency was it, that’s presently unclear, but this morning, USAF dispatched one KC-46A and one KC-135R from Rammstein AFB in Germany, to the Middle East…
At that point in time, the US operation was concluded. That of the UAE too.
According to latest reports, over the last 48 hours, the IRGC has hit five vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Four off the coast of Dubai, and one off Fujairah.
The last night, official Tehran announced that Washington called it in advance, on Sunday, to announce it will be carrying a FON in the Hormuz Strait, and requested it not to interfere.
Very early this morning, the spox of the Khatam al-Anbya HQ (joint HQ of the Iranian armed forces, activated at times of emergency), appeared to officially deny any kind of Iranian attacks on the UAE. Correspondingly, they did target ships, but no missile, nor drone attacks on the Emirates at all. He said, Iran refrained from ‘responding to US and Zionist propaganda… solely for the security and consideration of Muslim brothers and sisters in that country’.
Of course, everybody is now free to interpret the way one prefers. To me, this appears as a sort of a FON combined with PR: ‘see there, the super-turbo US Navy can escort international merchants in the Persian Gulf’ - even if it’s actually so that the USN is still risk-averse about the idea of doing so with its ‘super-turbo’ guided missile destroyers. Regardless how many aircraft are available to support. With other words, we can expect IQ47 to boast around with this achievement. And then expect (and demand again) somebody else to go and do the job.
The ‘nice’ aspect of this affair was that, at least this time, IQ47 didn’t let himself get convinced into being dragged into yet more war. ‘Not even’ by the Emiratis, who are so horny to fight Iran… but, please, not entirely on their own.
Thanks for the round-up. Well of course: the war of aggression has gone down the memory hole, to be replaced with Janus-faced liberal internationalist rhetoric about freedom of navigation. As predictable as tick follows tock, since this is the only form of guile those Israeli stooges still know how to employ.
Scouring social media I saw pictures of what looks like the 55 meter IRGCN catamaran Shahid Nazeri being used as part of the boarding of an MSC container ship a few days ago. If authentic, quite telling, as most of the IRGCN is much easier to hide.
A demonstration FON, very expensive means of keeping the merchant ships, tankers, bulk carriers free from IRGC attacks.