An Iranian warship sailed into the Red Sea Monday, according to Iranian state media and other reports, risking a potential escalation of tensions in waters where attacks on commercial shipping are becoming frequent and forcing navies to intervene.

The arrival of the Iranian vessel, the frigate Alborz, in the Red Sea comes amid an ongoing conflict that started with Israel and Hamas but has spread to involve the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, among others.

Following weeks of American warships shooting down Houthi threats, such as missiles and drones, US Navy helicopters on Sunday fired on and destroyed three Houthi attack boats attempting to board a Maersk cargo ship. A fourth boat fled the attack.

  • Arete@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    The last time Iran damaged a US warship we destroyed their entire Navy in one day, with resources that happened to be nearby. I don’t like their chances here.

    • JustUseMint@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Fucking exactly. You’ve hundreds of sailors/marines who’ve been edging for YEARS and now they finally might get to bust that war but, they’re practically begging them to make a move lmao.

      • AlfredEinstein@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        The Ayatollas don’t realize that when 🇺🇸Americans🇺🇸 talk about war, they’re really talking about masturbation.

        • wanderingmagus@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Y’all wanna try us, dude? Go ahead. Give my TM and FT friends a real good reason to set Battle Stations Torpedo. We’ll be glad to oblige.

          • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Calm down boot, I was a squid. If you learned your own branch’s history you’d know the only commissioned surface vessel that’s ever scored a kill is the Constitution.

            Hence the “and maybe more.” Jesus, you guys can’t read for shit.

            • Bishop@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Go Army, beat Navy.

              Having said that, USN would whip that ass without even breaking a sweat.

              Love my squid friends, signed Army Puke.

              • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                Hey you know what they say, the only two branches are the Army and the Navy. The Air Force is a corporation and the Marines are a cult.

  • sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz
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    10 months ago

    Unless the goal is igniting regional passions in hopes of bringing some biblical end of the world, I don’t really see the end game here.

    • jantin@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Solidifying control over the Suez Canal - note that Saudis and Iran are (at least for now) not at their throats so some or other kind of cooperation for mutual trade profits may be in order. Their agreement was brokered by China, and the Chinese are very much interested in keeping Suez open. For the local powers the best case scenario is to make westerners GTFO. But the westerners won’t gtfo as long as their ships are under fire. It’s not unlikely that Houthi got “off the leash”, in such case the Iranian warship would paradixically sail there to discipline the attackers and reduce tensions. Howevwr obviously no one would admit it openly.

      A more conspirational take is that the heat in the ME, from Hamas to Houthi, is a bid to pressure the US into unpopular moves (stubborn support to Israel, actual violence on the seas, maybe some diplomatic fuckups) and produce an electoral advantage for Trump.

        • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Probably because he’s not really interested in what’s happening outside of his country, and can’t place Iran on a map anyway.

          • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            That’s just a bad take, he spent most of his term doing dick measuring contests with Iran/NK/China. To say he doesn’t care about foreign policy is a complete lie, he absolutely cares about the rest of the world insofar as it demonstrates his “strength” as a “powerful leader.”

            Plus the last time we had an altercation with Iran during his presidency we almost went to war over it, we were on ready 30’s on deployment the whole week just in case the declaration of war was dropped.

            Unless Iran’s goal is to drag us into war, there’s no way they’d prefer a Trump presidency.

        • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          I can’t speak for any of the information the other user posted, but Iran and Russia are allies when it comes to military. If Trump comes in, he is pro Russia, anti Ukraine.

          Edit: can someone explain the downvotes? Are they saying Iran is not a military ally of Russia, or that Trump is not pro Russia anto Ukraine? Honest question

        • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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          10 months ago

          Because while his short term rhetoric is anti-Iran, the long-term outcome of a Trump-led kakistocracy will benefit them.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    An Iranian warship sailed into the Red Sea Monday, according to Iranian state media and other reports, risking a potential escalation of tensions in waters where attacks on commercial shipping are becoming frequent and forcing navies to intervene.

    The arrival of the Iranian vessel, the frigate Alborz, in the Red Sea comes amid an ongoing conflict that started with Israel and Hamas but has spread to involve the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, among others.

    Following weeks of American warships shooting down Houthi threats, such as missiles and drones, US Navy helicopters on Sunday fired on and destroyed three Houthi attack boats attempting to board a Maersk cargo ship.

    Maersk has paused sailing through the Red Sea for 48 hours starting Sunday in response to the attack.

    As of Dec. 17, US Navy destroyer USS Carney had neutralized dozens of airborne threats originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen since arriving in the area, making the American vessel 36-0 against Houthi rebels.

    The aggressive Houthi activities in the Red Sea are threatening global commerce and have caused shipping giants like Maersk to look to other waterways and pause transit through the critical trade route.


    The original article contains 252 words, the summary contains 191 words. Saved 24%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Red_October@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    We really don’t like it when you fuck with our boats, guys. Quit it before things get really Proportional.

    • Wahots@pawb.social
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      10 months ago

      Not even ours, just random ass vessels from around the world, like India and France. I’m no maritime law expert, but taking over other people’s trading ships in international waters sounds a hell of a lot like piracy. Someone’s glock 34 is about to shiver some timbers, lol. Or a lot more than a glock.

  • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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    10 months ago

    Sure would be cool if the US wasn’t anywhere near there and started minding it’s own fucking business and stopped supporting a nation set on genociding it’s displaced neighbors (and don’t ask how they got displaced either or you’re somehow racist)

    That said, why would any country near there want to send out a boat to intentionally get near the US navy? I wouldn’t do that during the best of times, and I once volunteered for them. During wartime conditions? I wouldn’t be within 250 miles of a naval ship, and that would still feel too close.

    There really isn’t a single country on the planet that can match the US navy. We don’t feed or house or take care of our people, but we sure do make a lot of weapons.

    And I mean all of that as an insult.

    Lmao be mad all you want, the fact is ships wouldn’t be getting attacked here if the US were minding it’s business from the very beginning. Saying “it’s because piracy” is just an excuse. Show me pirates, and ones that aren’t just being opportunistic about a conflict the US STUCK ITS NOSE IN

    • DogWater@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      What the fuck does protecting commercial ships from Iran rebels have to do with Israel Palestine?

      • sugartits@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Literally nothing. But someone on Lemmy will always find a way to air a grievance.

        The “I wish capitalism didn’t exist even though I am typing this from my iPhone” crowd will be here soon.

        And let’s not forget the “fuck cars everyone should take public transport and take twice as long to not get to their destination” crowd who may even grace us with their presence…

    • APassenger@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      The Red Sea is a corridor of piracy. That Iran appears to be using it as an opportunity for broader conflict doesn’t make it tied to Israel; it makes it tied to Iran.

      Now, both the US and Iran are using proxies, so the secondary conflict area may not quite be what it is otherwise, but if the US pulled support for Israel, free passage through the Red Sea would still be of strategic value.

      Mush like the seas around SE Asia.

      • Bigmouse@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        The Houthi rebels are attacking peaceful vessels that have nothing to do with this conflict. I personally fully support securing these shipping lanes.

        If Iran didnt support the Houthis i would support them helpibg aswell. But still, there is such a thing as Freedom of navigation, so the iranian ship can go there. They just can’t provoke a conflict.