Iranian Navy Stands Down From its Wartime Posture

 

The Iranian Navy (Nedaja) appears to have finally stood down from its wartime posture. Its principal ships returned to port, having spent three months away from their base in Bandar Abbas save for short trips back into port for replenishment.

In imagery taken on September 2, five operational Alvand and Moudge-class frigates were tied up in the Bandar Abbas Naval Harbor, as was the intelligence collector IRINS Zagros (H313).

Two Hengam Class landing ships (IRINS Tonb (L513) and Lavan (L514)) are also alongside, with a third vessel of the class IRINS Larak (L512) still under refurbishment in the floating dry dock close by. Bandar Abbas-class replenishment ship IRINS Bushehr (K422) is present, as are three of the seven-strong Delvar-class fleet of cargo and ammunition ships.

Bandar Abbas Naval Harbor on September 2, with five frigates (red) and IRINS Zagros (green) marked (Sentinel-2)

Also back in base are nine Sina and Kaman-class fast attack craft - for several months, only three such boats, probably non-operational, had been seen in the harbor. From the quality of imagery available to open source analysts, it is not possible to see if the single operational Kilo-class submarine IRINS Tarek (S901) is out or at its normal berth, but the two other Kilo submarines are out of the water in the dry docks alongside a Moudge-class frigate. It seems as if only one frigate - IRINS Bayandor (F81) - is out of Bandar Abbas, and this ship is often seen tied up in the new Jask Naval Harbor operating in support of Rear Admiral Abbas Hassani’s 2nd Naval Region.

This disposition suggests that the Nedaja has no long-range patrols deployed outside coastal areas. The presence since 2008 of a flotilla on rotation in the Red Sea was abandoned when the 100th Flotilla returned home to Bandar Abbas at the beginning of this year. The posture also suggests that the Nedaja does not feel at risk from a resumption of either Israeli or American attacks, which are expected by the political leadership in Tehran, but which the Nedaja may feel would be directed instead against the IRGC, the political leadership, nuclear weapons associated targets and ballistic missile infrastructure.

Also seen in imagery on September 2 is the forward base ship IRINS Makran (K441), at its usual pier in the outer harbor. For several weeks now, an unidentified logistics ship has been moored alongside the Makran, possibly a new addition to the Nedaja fleet - and like the Makran, possibly a conversion from an old civilian ship.

The mystery ship is 183.5 meters long, not matching anything in the known Nedaja inventory, and has a helicopter deck forward. But between the helicopter deck and the bridge is a davit crane, and on the deck alongside are several Boston Whaler-type boats. Thus this ship could perform the role previously carried out by the IRGC Navy spy ships MV Saviz and MV Behshad. These two ships in turn maintained a stationary position off the Dahlak Bank just inside Eritrean territorial waters, from late 2016 until January 2024, and from which Boston Whaler boats were craned off the deck to make arms runs across the Red Sea to the Houthis in Yemen.

IRINS Makran (right) in the outer harbor at Bandar Abbas early on September 2, alongside the mystery vessel (left) (Sentinel-2)