Iran To Station Warships in Panama Canal

National Security

First time Iran enters Pacific Ocean

Iranian navy ship / Wikimedia commons Adam Kredo • January 11, 2023 2:10 pm

Iran’s navy is to station warships in Panama Canal, which is a vital trade route in America’s backyard. It has never seen an Iranian military presence before.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani is the commander of Iran’s navy. He stated Wednesday that his forces would establish a presence at the Panama Canal in the latter part of the year. This marks the first time Iran’s military has entered into the Pacific Ocean.

Iran’s recent focus has been on moving its military into Latin American territories. This is in order to strengthen relations with anti American dictators in the region. Iranian vessels have docked more frequently in Venezuela as Tehran’s hardline regime seeks to prop up dictator Nicolás Maduro. These maneuvers are designed to provoke America and signal Tehran’s ability to place its military apparatus within a stone’s throwing of U.S. territory.

Joseph Humire is a national security analyst and executive director at the Center for a Secure Free Society. He focuses on Latin American concerns. Think tankIran, he said, has been laying the foundation for this type of voyage with joint exercises with allies like Russia and China, which have both been strengthening their ties towards Latin American countries.

“This is what Iran has been building in Latin America for the past 30 or 40 years” Humire stated that they have established bilateral agreements and embassies with a variety of countries.

Iran’s goal “has always been to have a military presence in Latin America, so it’s not surprising at all for its navy to announce it’s going to make moves on the Panama Canal,” Humire stated that Iran, in addition to Nicaragua and Venezuela, has also opened relations with Colombia.

“This is a tremendous escalation if it is to happen,” Humire said. “Many people may discount Iran in terms of its capabilities … but I would not discount it because they have been building to this for a very long time.”

Iranian rear admiral Irani claimed that the presence of the navy in the Panama Canal is intended to “strengthen our maritime presence in international waters,” According to comments Publiziert Iran’s state-controlled media.

“Today we are able to say that there is not scientific barrier to growing in that.”

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases