Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by U.S. Navy on May 3, 2023. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy has been outfitted with drones and 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) range missiles, Iranian news outlets said on Saturday, as the US offers to place guards on commercial ships passing through the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.
“Various types of drones… and several hundred cruise and ballistic missiles with ranges ranging from 300 to 1,000 km are among the systems and equipment that were added to the capabilities of the Guards’ navy today,” state news agency IRNA said.
Earlier this week, Washington said it could soon offer to put armed sailors and Marines on commercial ships in the region following Iran’s seizure and harassment of vessels.
Last month, it said it would send additional F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, along with a warship to the Middle East, to monitor waterways. About a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
Tehran usually says detained vessels have committed shipping violations. Some have been released only after foreign countries have freed detained Iranian ships.
Revolutionary Guards’ Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri told state TV that the new missiles had better precision as well as longer range. “The cruise missiles can attack several targets simultaneously and the commands can be altered after take-off.”