http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121064&sectionid=351020101
Iranian warships set sail for Gulf of Aden
Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:16:39 GMT

Iran has sent a naval battle group to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to confront threats to the country's shipping lanes.

Iran has sent a naval battle group to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to confront threats to the country's shipping lanes.

According to an announcement by the country's naval forces, the group was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden and the North Indian Ocean to "combat the ominous phenomenon of piracy."

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the key commercial shipping lane since November 2008.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, China, Malaysia and India have independently sent ships to thwart pirates, armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades.

Somalia's nearly 5,000-kilometer-long coast has been the scene of 215 attacks on ships crossing the waterway in 2009.

In 2009, USD 48.4 million was paid in ransom for the total of 46 vessels hijacked during the same period.




http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=100847&sectionid=351020202
Israel warships move within cruise-missile range of Iran

Tel Aviv takes a step closer to war with Tehran as two Israeli warships sail through the Suez Canal within cruise-missile range of Iran.

Earlier this week, two Israel Navy warships, the Hanit and the Eliat, passed through the Suez Canal and across the Red Sea.

An Israeli warship arrives at an Israeli navy base in the Red Sea resort city of Eilat on July 15.


In a Thursday interview with the Times, a senior Israeli defense official said the move should be seen as serious preparations for a long-expected attack on Iranian nuclear sites.

"This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran," said the Israeli defense official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

"These maneuvers are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats," he added.

The move comes ten days after a submarine -- believed to be nuclear-armed -- made a similar crossing and headed from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

The move, apparently coordinated with Egypt, is seen as a warning message to Iran that the Netanyahu government is not having second thoughts about its military plans against Iran.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed the crossings, but refused to comment on whether the deployment should be seen as a warning to Iran.

Tel Aviv, the alleged possessor of the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, accuses Iran of secretly enriching weapons-grade uranium to attack Israel.

Iran says it has no such intentions and has asserted that its uranium enrichment is a peaceful drive to produce electricity.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has conducted the greatest number of inspections in the history of the organization on Iran's nuclear activities, has not found any evidence to show Tehran has been pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

Incoming IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano also said recently that there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Tehran is enriching weapons-grade uranium.

Yeah, sit back and watch, It will get interesting. I lived through the cold war era. Cat and mouse, and chess games. This is on a much broader scale, but the same idea with much more at stake

new cold war style ... or cuban missle crisis.......?

i believe this is how the U.S. got into the war in Vietnam

yes it wouldnt suprice me if they "attacked" som american ships

Yes but there is one glaring difference. The US had the fact that they used nuclear/atomic weapons on their conscience and witnessed the carnage. Russia hadn't but they knew that if they were to use these WMDs, their major populations would be targeted in a counter offensive that would cripple them. The reaction wasn't worth the action.

Here we have Israel and Iran, both have deep rooted hatred of one another, so much so that a conflict is inevitable. We have seen their disregard for civilian life. They will never shake hands and sign a treaty, maybe a cease fire, but not a peace treaty. All I sense when I focus on those countries is that, yes, they are playing a waiting game, but only for the right time to attack. There is a coldness to their leadership and hatred of one another. It's gonna end badly for both of them.

Yup one of the many wars that have been STAGED on the open seas.

yes it wouldnt suprice me if "they" attacked som american ships

THEY as in Americans themselfs...?!

Unknown. Either, or. But it sure makes me antsy