At the bottom of sea? Iran Navy has a safe haven where US power hits a wall

Donald Trump has mocked Iran's navy, saying US and Israeli strikes sent it to the bottom. But Iran has another navy that the US can't touch. It's stationed on Iran's northern coast, on the Caspian Sea. It continues to operate under a protected geopolitical shield. Here's everything you need to know about it.

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/world/story/iran-caspian-sea-northern-fleet-remains-beyond-us-reach-israel-russia-china-influence-2919675-2026-05-31

You're way behind.

https://www.naval-technology.com/news/idf-iran-navy-caspian-sea/

Look at the date : march 20th.

Any Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea are frankly irrelevant!

50 minutes ago, JAG said:

Any Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea are frankly irrelevant!

Precisely.

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Any Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea are frankly irrelevant!

And why would that Be ?

While their conventional strike capability is relatively small, Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea serve as a crucial logistical corridor for Russia and provide Iran with strategic resilience beyond the reach of Western blockades.

Their role is more systemic than tactical:

• Sanctions Bypassing: Which allows covert shipments of drone components and military supplies between Russia and Iran, bypassing traditional maritime blockades.

• Strategic Defense: Unlike the Persian Gulf, the Caspian serves as a secure space where Iran can deploy and test anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities shielded from direct U.S. Navy scrutiny.

  The Volga–Don Canal: This 63-mile canal connects the Volga River to the Don River. It allows ships to travel from the Caspian to the Sea of Azov, and then out into the Black Sea and the Mediterranean

smuggling arms to and from russia ?

4 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

And why would that Be ?

While their conventional strike capability is relatively small, Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea serve as a crucial logistical corridor for Russia and provide Iran with strategic resilience beyond the reach of Western blockades.

Their role is more systemic than tactical:

• Sanctions Bypassing: Which allows covert shipments of drone components and military supplies between Russia and Iran, bypassing traditional maritime blockades.

• Strategic Defense: Unlike the Persian Gulf, the Caspian serves as a secure space where Iran can deploy and test anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities shielded from direct U.S. Navy scrutiny.

  The Volga–Don Canal: This 63-mile canal connects the Volga River to the Don River. It allows ships to travel from the Caspian to the Sea of Azov, and then out into the Black Sea and the Mediterranean

Warships are not required for freight and, practically, they are rather unsuitable.

You really think the Americans are not probing into The Caspian?

And when these Iranian naval assets enter The Med, what then?

Edited June 2Jun 2 by nauseus

5 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

smuggling arms to and from russia ?

You actually think warships are actually cargo ships in disguise. Crikey, why didn't they think of that in WW2. Instead of building thousands of tons of merchantmen, the shipyards should have only built warships.

6 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

And why would that Be ?

While their conventional strike capability is relatively small, Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea serve as a crucial logistical corridor for Russia and provide Iran with strategic resilience beyond the reach of Western blockades.

Their role is more systemic than tactical:

• Sanctions Bypassing: Which allows covert shipments of drone components and military supplies between Russia and Iran, bypassing traditional maritime blockades.

• Strategic Defense: Unlike the Persian Gulf, the Caspian serves as a secure space where Iran can deploy and test anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities shielded from direct U.S. Navy scrutiny.

  The Volga–Don Canal: This 63-mile canal connects the Volga River to the Don River. It allows ships to travel from the Caspian to the Sea of Azov, and then out into the Black Sea and the Mediterranean

No ocean going vessel can transect the canal. Your sources have told you that already, but you omitted mention when cutting and pasting.

Russia tried sending some of their canal tankers out into the Black Sea. They sank.

The US might be operating a naval blockade of some sort in the Gulf. but I am not aware of them interdicting truck traffic either side of Iran's land crossings. Are you suggesting they should engage in air strikes against road traffic in Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, a significant widening of a conflict.

8 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

No ocean going vessel can transect the canal. Your sources have told you that already, but you omitted mention when cutting and pasting.

Russia tried sending some of their canal tankers out into the Black Sea. They sank.

The US might be operating a naval blockade of some sort in the Gulf. but I am not aware of them interdicting truck traffic either side of Iran's land crossings. Are you suggesting they should engage in air strikes against road traffic in Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, a significant widening of a conflict.

Another post by you that only gives Part of the whole picture

In 2004 and 2007 Russian oil tankers broke apart in a storm in the black sea these Tankers Where Not Designed for Open waters but where Canal tankers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dq6q0m862o

"No ocean going vessel can transect the canal" Totally Incorrect ! Designed Volga Max river seas ships can transit the canal and the black sea and have done

What has Truck traffic got to do with what i posted it is a known fact that Iran is bypassing traditional maritime blockades. how they are doing it God knows

this is a News forum FACT count not Assumptions you need to have sources for to check you seemed to have none or you can not read !!

15 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

The Volga–Don Canal: This 63-mile canal connects the Volga River to the Don River. It allows ships to travel from the Caspian to the Sea of Azov, and then out into the Black Sea and the Mediterranean

Not to be confused with the Vulgar Don White House.

Flame post removed

8 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Another post by you that only gives Part of the whole picture

In 2004 and 2007 Russian oil tankers broke apart in a storm in the black sea these Tankers Where Not Designed for Open waters but where Canal tankers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dq6q0m862o

"No ocean going vessel can transect the canal" Totally Incorrect ! Designed Volga Max river seas ships can transit the canal and the black sea and have done

What has Truck traffic got to do with what i posted it is a known fact that Iran is bypassing traditional maritime blockades. how they are doing it God knows

this is a News forum FACT count not Assumptions you need to have sources for to check you seemed to have none or you can not read !!

Besides a single BBC news report, you have not provided a single source, certainly none for your contentious AI-written response. I repeat, its full of AI Slop.

Volga river tankers also foundered in 2024 in the Black Sea. The canal can handle ships with maximum 3.6 meters draft, 3.1m in when the water is low, and maximum tonnage of 5000 tonnes.

Ocean going cargo ships have a draft of at least 9 meters. Ergo, they cannot use the canal to go from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean sea. Ordinarily, ships would transfer cargos at sea in the Sea of Asov, however the Ukrainian Navy has made that untenable (hence Russian river tankers trying to do a Black Sea run and failing). Additionally, its all moot if demolition of the Kerch Bridge closes the Sea to the Black Sea.

Since 2022, Iran has offshored its military drone production to Tajikistan, a country not prone to sanctions or blockades. 15% of shipping volume for Iran is overland, through the the 'Stans. When looking at trade, Iran's oil trade distorts the numbers. Overland, as well as aerospace, is very important to Iran.

http://en.khsco.ir/article/road-transportation-in-iran%E2%80%99s-economy/

https://www.clarksons.com/home/glossary/v/a-guide-to-bulk-vessel-sizes/

https://mei.edu/publication/irans-drone-factory-tajikistan/?__cf_chl_tk=n0MboAaYQdJOiC3h8YUB5gR6zxsIKB7vh4cRsaQ2l8k-1780472689-1.0.1.1-PXEQwh4Ws8LE4TC5DBSLIczduHjCmIAY76Ne8xcHBVk

http://archive.premier.gov.ru/eng/visits/ru/6044/info/1590/print/

https://shipnext.com/port/5828e82e6742c90cc0eb7241

https://www.lloydslistintelligence.com/resources/blog/ais-blind-spots-illicit-trade-or-technical-glitch

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-linked-tankers-attacked-near-t-rkiye-1780043862.html

Edited June 3Jun 3 by Roadsternut