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☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

☆ Video shows a US Navy drone boat firing off its own exploding drone in the Middle East, a first for the unmanned vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Navy said its drone boats fired lethal weaponry for the first time in the Middle East. Footage of one of the engagements shows Navy personnel operating the drone boat in the open waters. The USV then fires one of the munitions, which includes a first-person view of its trajectory into the simulated target, causing it to detonate on impact. Navy officials said the exercise was designed to advance the lethality and combat potential of drone boats, and future events could broaden the arsenal of these unmanned systems. Beyond drone boats, the Pentagon has taken other measures in recent months to boost deterrence in the region like dispatching an assortment of fighter jets and warships to the area.

Persons: —, Ray USV, Devil Ray, NAVCENT, Brad Cooper, Cmdr, Dre Johnson, Jonathan Nye, Justin Stumberg Organizations: US Navy, Navy, Service, US Naval Forces Central Command, . Naval Forces Central Command’s, Digital, Missile System, U.S . Naval Forces Central Command’s, Mass, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Pentagon Locations: Arabian, U.S, Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Persian, Iran, American

☆ The US Navy turned the tables on Iran, sending drones that look like speedboats to spy on its warships and troublesome gunboats
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. US Navy photoAn undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of an Iranian Navy AB-212 helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. AdvertisementAdvertisementOther images from the September operation that were released by the US Navy on Friday showed an IRGCN warship and an Iranian Navy frigate. An L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel sails in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 22, during exercise Neon Defender 23. US Navy photoA MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel operates in the Gulf of Aqaba, Mar.

Persons: —, NAVCENT, Joe Baggett, Ray USV, Brad Cooper, Cooper, Arleigh Burke, Alexus, Grynkewich, they'll Organizations: US Navy, Navy, Service, Washington, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, US Naval Forces Central Command, Iranian, Fleet, Iranian Navy, Arabian Fox, US Marines, Coast Guard, Pentagon, Bataan, Ready, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, US Air Forces Central Command, Defense Writers Locations: Tehran, Hormuz, Persian, Gulf of Oman, Iran, Arabian, Panama, Strait, Iranian Navy, Iranian, NAVCENT, Gulf, Aqaba, Mar

☆ Iranian forces dangerously flashed a laser at a US Marine Corps attack helicopter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Iranian naval ships repeatedly shined a laser at a US Marine Corps helicopter on Wednesday. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementIranian naval forces repeatedly flashed a laser at a US Marine Corps attack helicopter flying above Middle Eastern waters, the US Navy said on Thursday, as tensions between the two countries remain high across the region. This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy risks US and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately," Cmdr. "US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting regional maritime security."

Persons: —, NAVCENT, It's, Cmdr, Rick Chernitzer, Trump, Michael Kurilla, Washington's, John Kirby, there's, Kirby Organizations: US Marine Corps, US Navy, Service, US Naval Forces Central Command, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Iran's Guard Corps, Pentagon, US Central Command, Bataan, Ready, Guard Corps, National Security Locations: Iran, Arabian, Bataan, Iraq, Syria, Tehran

☆ A fierce naval battle 35 years ago shows how destructive another US showdown with Iran could get
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

More than 50 IRGCN and Iranian Navy personnel were killed, while the US lost one SeaCobra helicopter and its two crew members. After all, Iran has made significant changes to its naval forces and tactics over the past 35 years, becoming "much more asymmetric," according to Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and expert on naval operations. Iran's naval force now consists of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, known as the IRGCN, and the regular Iranian Navy, Clark told Insider. The Iranian Navy still primarily consists of frigates and corvettes, which operate outside the Gulf, and is much more like other conventional navies. Iranian Navy warship Sahand in Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz in April 2019.

Persons: Biden, Earnest Will, Chance, Samuel B, Roberts, Bryan Clark, Clark, Nadimi, Abu Musa Island, IRGC, Morteza, Kyle Jia Iran's, weren't, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, US Navy, US, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, US Naval Forces Central Command, Fleet, SS, Iranian Navy, Hudson Institute, Washington Institute for Near East, Iran's Navy, REUTERS, Getty, US Marines, US Marine Corps Locations: Persian, Iran, Wall, Silicon, China, Marshall, Iranian, Gulf, Strait, Hormuz, Tehran, Iraq, SS Bridgeton, Abu Musa, Handout, Persian Gulf, Soviet Union, Lebanon, Bataan

☆ US Navy video shows Iranian ship open fire at a merchant tanker that it was trying to capture
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iranian naval ships tried to seize two oil tankers crossing Middle Eastern waters on Wednesday. The US Navy said in one incident, Iranian personnel opened fire on one of the commercial ships. The Iranian vessel tried to get the Richmond Voyager to stop, and reached within a mile of the tanker. The US Navy said Iranian personnel then "fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons" at the tanker, with several rounds hitting the hull. Unclassified US Navy drone footage shows the Iranian ship open fire at the Richmond Voyager, with some rounds ricocheting, shown in the video as small flashes above the tanker.

Persons: —, TRF Moss, Brad Cooper, Cooper, Biden Organizations: US Navy, Service, US Naval Forces Central Command, Bahamian, Richmond, Richmond Voyager, Navy, Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces, US, US Air Force Locations: Marshall, Gulf of Oman, Iranian, Oman, Hormuz, Iran, Washington, Yemen, Tehran, Syria

☆ US Navy video shows a dozen Iranian fast-attack boats swarming an oil tanker in its latest maritime seizure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A dozen Iranian attack boats seized an oil tanker crossing through Middle Eastern waters on Wednesday. The US Navy shared a video of the incident, which showed the boats swarm the vessel. The 1,100-foot-long Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi departed Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and was on its way to the port city of Fujairah, when the incident unfolded at around 6:20 a.m. local time. On April 27, Iranian navy vessels intercepted the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet as it was crossing international waters in the Gulf of Oman, a body of water that separates Oman from Iran. Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi in the Strait of Hormuz.

☆ UK navy seizes anti-tank missiles being smuggled out of Iran, adding to a mountain of weapons intercepted by the US and its partners at sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK forces recently intercepted a small boat illegally smuggling missiles from Iran to Yemen. It's the latest incident to see the US and partner forces seize weapons in Middle East waters. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. Once these weapons are seized, there are a handful of places they can end up — depending on what, exactly, was obtained during the raid. In some past cases, explosives have been detonated at sea while the rifles and ammunition were sent ashore to be destroyed.

☆ Here's what happens to the thousands of weapons the US military seizes from smugglers and gunrunners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tim Hawkins, a public affairs officer with the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), told Insider. In one incident, US forces seized dual-use chemical fertilizer, which can be used for agricultural purposes and also to make explosives. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. US Navy photoEarlier in 2022, UK naval forces confiscated surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile rocket engines. Shortly after that, and most recently, French special forces seized over 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 rounds of ammunition, and 23 advanced anti-tank guided missiles.

☆ Western forces are raiding gunrunners at sea and throwing wrenches into Iran's plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

CENTCOM said this month that it supported "partner naval forces" during a January raid in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. UK naval forces also seized surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile rocket engines that came from Iran. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. It remains to be seen whether the increase in raids will actually impact Iran's regional influence over the long-term.

☆ US Navy ships caught a fishing boat smuggling over 2,000 AK-47 rifles from Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US Navy forces recently found a fishing boat transporting over 2,000 rifles from Iran to Yemen. A team from the patrol coastal ship USS Chinook discovered and boarded the ship with support from fellow Cyclone-class patrol ship USS Monsoon and the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans. Navy forces found that the ship was carrying 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen.

☆ US Navy finds the same kind of Iranian suicide drone Russia has been using against Ukraine was used to attack a tanker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Navy identified the drone as a Shahed-136, which Russia has been using to attack Ukrainian cities. The tanker, Pacific Zircon, came under attack in the evening on November 15. The next day, US Navy explosive ordnance technicians boarded the wounded tanker to collect debris and inspect the damage. The one-way UAV attack tore a 30-inch-wide hole in the outer hull on the starboard side of the ship’s stern, just below the main deck. Meanwhile, last week's Shahed-136 attack is the second time this month that US Navy forces have reported Iranian influence in waters near the Middle East.

☆ US Navy finds 'massive amount' of explosive material able to fuel over a dozen ballistic missiles on a fishing boat sailing from Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Navy intercepted a fishing boat in the Gulf of Oman traveling from Iran to Yemen last week. During a search, the Navy found lethal aid and a "massive amount" of explosive material. This material is able to fuel over a dozen medium-range ballistic missiles, a Navy official said. The Navy said it sank the ship last weekend and transferred the crew to Yemen's Coast Guard. Iran is the main supporter of the Houthis, who have fought a yearslong civil war against Yemen's internationally recognized government.

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