For the first time ever, the Iranian navy intends to moor its warships in the Panama Canal.
The head of Iran’s navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, declared that his country’s forces would make their presence known at the Panama Canal, a vital commerce route for the United States.
Iran has strategically concentrated on fostering ties with anti-American regimes in South America during the past ten years.
Iran has “always planned to establish a military presence in Latin America, so it’s not at all strange for its navy to indicate it will make moves on the Panama Canal,” according to national security specialist Joseph Humire.
JUST IN: Iran Sending Warships into Panama Canal — Latest escalation in Iran's efforts to militarize America's backyard https://t.co/g73zxoKpQA
— Adam Kredo (@Kredo0) January 11, 2023
#Iran's navy is set to station warships for the first time in the Panama Canal, a critical trade route in America's backyard that has never before seen an Iranian military presence.
Again, the West's appeasement emboldening Tehran into more belligerence.https://t.co/eZSzCUSa9a
— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) January 11, 2023
Free Beacon had more on the story:
Iran’s navy is set to station warships for the first time in the Panama Canal, a critical trade route in America’s backyard that has never before seen an Iranian military presence.
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of Iran’s navy, said on Wednesday that his forces will establish a presence in the Panama Canal later this year, marking the first time Iran’s military has entered the Pacific Ocean.
Iran in recent years has placed a greater focus on moving its military into Latin American territories as it strengthens relations with anti-American dictators in the region, most notably in Venezuela. Iranian vessels have docked more frequently in Venezuela as Tehran’s hardline regime seeks to prop up dictator Nicolás Maduro. These moves are meant to provoke the United States and signal that Tehran has the ability to station its military apparatus a stone’s throw from U.S. territory.
Joseph Humire, a national security analyst who focuses on Latin American issues as executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society think tank, said Iran has been laying the groundwork for this type of voyage by holding joint exercises with allies such as Russia and China, two nations that have also been strengthening their ties with Latin American countries.
“This is what Iran has been building in Latin America for the past 30 or 40 years” by establishing embassies and bilateral agreements with a host of nations, Humire said.
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 said, noting that in addition to Venezuela and Nicaragua, Iran has opened relations with Colombia.
Iran vows to station warships in the Panama canal after building ties with Latin American dictators https://t.co/JJRDai6N74
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) January 12, 2023
The Daily Mail got the scoop too:
Iran is planning to station warships in the Panama Canal, the latest move in its ongoing campaign to install a presence in Latin America and infiltrate the United States’ backyard.
The commander of Iran’s Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, announced the plans on Wednesday and said they would come to fruition later this year. A presence in the Panama Canal would mark the first time Iran’s navy has sailed in the Pacific Ocean.
The move is just the latest in Iran’s ongoing campaign to deepen its ties in Latin America, which has recently included treaties signed with the anti-US Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro, Nicaragua, and increasingly friendly relations with Bolivia.
'A tremendous escalation': Iran announces plan to 'strengthen' its 'maritime presence' by stationing warships in Panama Canal https://t.co/mlGK4Id5BL via @americanwire_
— Mike Murphy (@murfloneranger_) January 12, 2023
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