Delivery of 'Talaye' and 'Nasir' Cruise Missiles to the Islamic Republic Navy

On Sunday, December 24, Iranian media reported that weapons including 'Talaye' and 'Nasir' cruise missiles, reconnaissance helicopters, and various types of drones have been delivered to the 'Southern Fleet and Third Naval Region' of the Islamic Republic Navy. Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Islamic Republic Navy, stated that the range of the 'Talaye' and 'Nasir' cruise missiles is 1,000 kilometers and 100 kilometers, respectively. He described the 'Talaye' missile as having 'the capability to change course and select targets autonomously and through the mother system' and noted that the 'Nasir' missile has 'appropriate destructive power.' The Navy commander claimed that all military equipment added to this force has been designed and produced in Iran. According to Reuters, although military analysts in the West believe that the Iranian government often exaggerates its military capabilities, the continuation of the Islamic Republic's adventures coincides with unprecedented tensions in the region's waters. The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced that a drone launched from Iran attacked a chemical-laden ship in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, December 23. The motor vessel 'Chem Pluto,' flagged in Liberia and owned by Japan, is linked to an Israeli billionaire. This ship was hit 200 nautical miles from the Indian coast. A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters that this one-way attack drone was launched from Iranian territory. Following the drone attack, a fire broke out on the ship, which was extinguished by the crew. No injuries were reported among the 20 crew members. According to Reuters, at the time of the attack, no U.S. military vessels were present in the area, but afterward, the 'Chem Pluto' moved towards India, and the U.S. military maintained continuous contact with it. Earlier, the British maritime security company 'Ambrey' announced that an Israeli-linked commercial ship was targeted by a drone attack 200 kilometers off the western coast of India. Ambrey reported on its website that 'some structural damage has also been reported and some water has entered the ship.' According to Ambrey, this ship, linked to Israel, had last contacted Saudi Arabia and was heading to India at the time of the attack. The Pentagon also stated that this was the seventh direct attack by the Islamic Republic on commercial ships since 2021, but the first time since the Israel-Hamas war that the Islamic Republic has directly engaged in an attack on a ship. Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated on Friday, December 22, 'We know that the Islamic Republic has been heavily involved in planning attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. This aligns with the long-term material support of the Islamic Republic and encourages destabilizing actions by the Houthis in the region.' Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, also previously stated at a press conference that Washington believes, based on evidence and reasons, that these attacks, while carried out by the Houthis of Yemen, have been made possible with full support from the Islamic Republic. However, Iranian officials deny any involvement in the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Despite these denials, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, deputy coordinator of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, recently stated, 'Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped in the Red Sea.' Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of the IRGC, also acknowledged the Islamic Republic's military support for the Houthis and Hamas, threatening that ships flying the Israeli flag 'will certainly be hit.' Two other ships have refrained from passing through the Red Sea; the White House says it is monitoring the situation. A Greek frigate has been dispatched to the Red Sea; the European Union Navy is joining Operation 'Guardian of Prosperity.' The U.S. and its allies have warned other nations not to encourage the Houthis in their attacks on ships. The U.S. has sanctioned the network supporting the Islamic Republic's drone program in Iran and several other countries. A security company reported an 'unsuccessful attempt' to hijack a ship off the coast of Yemen. Another commercial ship was attacked in the Red Sea; the Houthis are the main suspects. Following Houthi attacks on commercial ships, Maersk has suspended its operations in the Red Sea. Two other shipping companies have refrained from transit through the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; Houthi attacks have made the Red Sea unsafe. Britain shot down an attack drone in the skies over the Red Sea. The Pentagon has ordered the U.S. aircraft carrier to remain in the eastern Mediterranean near Israel. Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea have set a Liberian-flagged ship on fire. CENTCOM confirmed the Houthi missile attack on a Maersk ship in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.