Tehran- After Iran praised the behavior of the Houthis in the Red Sea to support Gaza and its official warning against forming any international force to guarantee maritime navigation, Tehran was quick, yesterday, Tuesday, to unveil a “Basij Naval Force” in response to the American announcement of the formation of a multinational maritime task force to protect trade in the Red Sea.
Hours after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed the establishment of a naval task force to confront Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Commander of the Naval Force in the Revolutionary Guard, Admiral Ali Reza Tungsiri, announced that his country had organized the Basij Naval Forces for the oceans and other ships and naval vessels capable of sailing as far as Tanzania.
Tangsiri estimated the strength of the new popular force at 55,000 members and 33,000 naval vessels present in Gulf waters during the first phase of its activity, and stated that it would begin its mission in the Caspian Sea during the next phase, confirming the establishment of a naval shadow force from the Popular Mobilization Forces and equipping it with appropriate weapons.
“the upper hand”
Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned the United States that it “will face exceptional problems if it wants to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea,” and said that “no one can move in an area where Iran has the upper hand.”
Thus, the Pentagon’s announcement does not come as a surprise to Tehran, but Iranian circles see the American move as an indication of the effectiveness of the Houthi operations in pressuring the Israeli occupation and confusing the calculations of its Western allies, especially regarding the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Military researcher Ali Abdi reads the formation of the Western naval force in the Red Sea in the context of the Western response to the effectiveness of the Houthis’ behavior in the course of the Israeli war on Gaza, and the fear of what might be greater, especially regarding the obstruction of maritime navigation between the Eastern and Western powers through the Suez Canal.
Abdi explained – to Tel Aviv Tribune Net – that the distance between the occupied Palestinian territories and Yemen makes Israeli land and naval operations against the Houthi forces an “impossible mission,” adding that the air operations carried out by Arab, Western, and “Hebrew” parties in Yemen, during the past decade, have proven their failure. In restricting the Houthis’ ability.
He considered that the absence of countries bordering the Red Sea – led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt – in the maritime coalition is evidence of Washington’s failure to persuade these countries to participate in potential operations against the Houthis, saying that the coalition will not stop Houthi operations in the Red Sea.
The military researcher continued that several regional countries prefer to distance themselves and not confront the so-called axis of resistance after the Iranian warning because they know very well that the new alliance will be temporary, and it is not wise to sacrifice their interests with Sanaa and Tehran for the sake of Western plans aimed at supporting Israel in annihilating Gaza, as well as Some of these countries have already participated in the “Decisive Storm” coalition against the Houthis.
Ansar Allah’s step #Yemen The courage to restrict the movement of ships to the occupied territories led to pressure on the vital artery of the Zionists. Any country that joins the American coalition to deal with this movement is considered a direct participant in the massacres committed against children by the Zionist entity.
– Ali Shamkhani (@alishamkhani_ir) December 18, 2023
Many papers
Abdi believed that his country has many cards to deal with the international force in the Red Sea and neutralize its dangers according to the following:
- Cooperation with the Yemeni Houthi group.
- Coordination between members of the axis of resistance extending from the White Sea to the Arabian Sea.
- Classic naval power and mobilization and popular organizations.
- A huge military arsenal covers the ray extending to the Red Sea.
- Complete control over the Strait of Hormuz and influence over the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Given Tehran’s position on the new US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea, which is about 2,000 kilometers away from Iranian shores, Iranian researcher in strategic affairs, Ali Reza Taghavinia, rules out his country’s participation alongside the Houthis to confront the international force.
Speaking to Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Taqavi Nia confirmed that Tehran’s support for the Houthis does not go beyond the advisory role it has been providing for years. However, the new development will prompt Iran to provide intelligence and logistical support to the so-called Yemeni National Salvation Government, which it considers a “strategic ally” in Yemen.
He continued that the Houthis’ control of Bab al-Mandab puts the second most important sea strait in the world under the control of the Axis of Resistance, along with the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian researcher expected an intensification of tension in the Red Sea if the international force carried out operations against the Houthis, because the Yemeni side would prevent the passage of ships of all countries participating in the American coalition in the region, adding that this new coalition would fail to achieve the goals for which it was established, similar to the naval force that it had previously created. Washington in Gulf waters years ago.
Influence strategy
Taqniyya confirmed that the Houthis possess weapons suitable for closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to ships heading to Israel, and that the position of the Iranian Defense Minister had taken the Houthis’ military capabilities into consideration.
He believed that his country had demonstrated relative influence in the Bab al-Mandab region in recent years, explaining that what is meant by influence does not mean a direct and continuous presence in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and it may be through cooperation with allies, and therefore Tehran will not allow the Houthis’ control over Bab al-Mandab to be undermined.
He pointed out that direct or indirect control over sea straits and strategic sites enhances the international standing of important countries, increases their geopolitical capacity and influence on global budgets, and guarantees their political, economic, and security interests.
The Iranian researcher concluded by saying that his country’s strategy in supporting its regional allies has achieved tremendous achievements so far, and that Tehran is working to guarantee them and expand its influence, starting from Gulf waters to the Sea of Oman, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea during the future period.
