Last Tuesday, the Iranian ship MV Saviz was attacked in the Red Sea with what was later revealed to be limpet mines, causing the ship's engine rooms to flood.
Analysts, including those at the US Naval Institute, say the Saviz – contrary to Iranian claims – is used for gathering intelligence in Bab Al Mandeb.
The strait, which lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The attack on the Saviz is remarkably similar to other attacks on ships in the region, including one on the Israeli commercial vessel Helios Ray in February and limpet mine attacks on four commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman in May 2019.
Commandos from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been accused of operations against oil cargoes at sea and anchored in port since the administration of former US president Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed tough sanctions on Tehran.
But as negotiations on a possible new nuclear deal move forward, another conflict has been under way, with Israel and Iran accusing each other of maritime sabotage attacks.
"Saviz is, foremost, a floating armoury ship where armed anti-piracy security guards – in the case of Iran, members of IRGC navy or national navy special forces – disembark from cargo ships and tankers heading for Suez Canal," said Farzin Nadimi, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who specialises in Iran's naval strategy.
“They hand over their weapons, because Suez Canal regulations preclude arms or armed guards aboard civilian vessels using the canal,” he said.
“But its role doesn’t end there and beyond this legitimate role it also collects intel on passing ships, especially naval vessels of hostile nations. It is believed to pass targeting information to Houthis,” Mr Nadimi said, referring to Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.
"They did it at least in 2018 when Houthis were much more active in the sea. It is also believed to have a key role in smuggling personnel into Houthi-controlled areas. Western, Saudi and Israeli intelligence have been monitoring Saviz closely with concern for the past few years."
Bab Al Mandeb chokepoint
The deployment of the Saviz at a maritime chokepoint could be seen as an additional pressure point for Iranian foreign policy, representing the ability to exert leverage on regional enemies.
This is in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf through which ships carried 20 million barrels of oil per day prior to the pandemic.
“The Red Sea, which was secure, is no longer secure for the presence of Americans,” IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani said in 2018.
“The Quds force and I are your match. We don’t go to sleep at night before thinking about you.”
Suleimani was assassinated in a US air strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020, after hostility between US forces in Iraq and Iran’s allied militias escalated.
Bab Al Mandeb could be even more important for Iran now, not least because cutting off the Strait of Hormuz has been seen as a last resort for Tehran – perhaps in the event of total war, and even then an economically self-defeating move.
Swarming tactics
The Iranians have long developed a naval strategy focused on “swarms” of lightly armed fast boats, an approach devised to overwhelm the US Navy around the confines of the Strait of Hormuz.
Countering this swarming strategy has been central to the US approach in the narrow waterway ever since a US war-game, Millennium Challenge, in 2002, when a simulated Iranian fleet “defeated” the US Navy, in part by using suicidal small-boat swarms.
Over the years, the US Navy has developed countermeasures to combat the threat, including the Block 1B variant of the Phalanx Close-in Weapons System. The anti-missile system was adapted to be able to pepper small boats with 4,500 rounds of ammunition per minute.
Other weapons systems, from cluster bombs to anti-tank missiles such as the Hellfire, were adapted to be used against small boats.
But the IRGC Navy has also evolved.
“New US approaches have given IRGCN commanders some sleepless nights, but they also have developed their hardware and tactics as well: longer range and more accurate anti-ship missiles – both ballistic and cruise missiles, faster and better armed boats now also armed with missiles with ranges approaching 300km. So no need to swarm,” Mr Nadimi said.
“They’re also developing small submarines, armed drones, both aerial and subsurface drones, complete with thousands – not an exaggeration – of unmanned explosive drone boats, to name a few.”
The damage to the Saviz – whether conducted by Israel, as the Iranians allege, or another regional power, will no doubt have come as a shock to Tehran.
But if recent history is any guide, the IRGC will find other approaches to disrupt global trade for its own political ends.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
Company%C2%A0profile
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
GCC-UK%20Growth
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
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Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Racecard
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5