Britain Warns About IRGC's Attempts to Drag Foreign Ships into Iranian Waters

The UK Maritime Trade Operations organization, 'UKMTO', has warned about the apparent efforts of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stating that it seems the IRGC intends to force foreign ships to enter Iranian waters. In a statement released on Friday, January 25, several instances of 'radio challenges for ships via VHF frequency' have been reported. VHF stands for 'Very High Frequency' and refers to electromagnetic waves with radio frequencies between 30 to 300 megahertz, corresponding to wavelengths from 10 to 1 meter. According to the UKMTO statement, 'it is estimated that the transmission of these frequencies is likely part of the IRGC's extensive military exercise named “Prophet Muhammad 18”.' The Islamic Republic of Iran is currently conducting a two-month military exercise across the country. This exercise began after Israel attacked several Iranian military and missile bases in November in response to two separate ballistic missile attacks from Tehran. Iran has a history of seizing and creating issues for ships but has not recently conducted direct attacks of this nature. However, since last year and shortly after the onset of the Gaza war, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea. The IRGC conducted a naval exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, which Iranian state media described as part of a series of nationwide military drills. Iranian state television also aired footage of this exercise, which included speedboats, shore-to-sea missiles, and surface-to-surface missiles. These exercises, named 'Might', are conducted by the army and the IRGC and are set to begin in January and continue until late March. The commander of the IRGC Navy stated in an interview with Iranian state television that this exercise conveys the message that 'we are capable of ensuring the security of this sensitive and strategic region.' Alireza Tangsiri also claimed that these exercises are conducted to 'counter any aggression from foreign forces' and threatened that 'if the enemy threatens our nation's interests in the region, it will certainly face a very strong response.' The IRGC 'seized' an Emirati-managed oil tanker. The three strategic islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa are located near the Strait of Hormuz, a passage through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes. These islands have been a point of contention between Iran and the United Arab Emirates for decades. In previous exercises, Iranian armed forces unveiled a reconnaissance ship and conducted drills to protect Iran's nuclear facilities in western and central regions of the country. These military activities occur while Iran's nuclear program is under close scrutiny with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Mr. Trump had previously withdrawn the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Tehran and ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, in a drone strike in Iraq.