What Happened To Iran’s Biggest Naval Ship?

Was this deliberate, or just an accident?

Suspicion is definitely in the air, as Israel and Iran continue to conduct covert operations, strikes, and proxy conflicts against each other.

Sources have not yet confirmed whether or not this was a deliberate attack, but the region is like a powder keg right now. Especially, in light of the recent conflict between Hamas and Israel.

It remains to be seen what will happen, but for now just know that Iran’s naval force has taken a considerable blow.

Here is what we currently know:

https://twitter.com/Littleb29872980/status/1400087992031715328

The Wall Street Journal reported the main facts:

Iran’s largest navy ship sank early Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman after catching fire, according to Iranian state media, the latest blow to the country’s vital infrastructure and military assets in recent months.

The Kharg had been deployed to international waters to participate in a training exercise when it caught fire near the port of Jask, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said. The fire had started in the engine room, causing parts of the ship to melt and fall into the sea, state news agency IRNA said.

Rescue workers tried for 20 hours to extinguish the fire but couldn’t prevent it from spreading, Tasnim said, citing Iran’s navy, which added that all of the nearly 400 crew members were evacuated safely from the ship.

Other Iranian media outlets broadcast footage from the Gulf of Oman of what they said was the ship burning in the distance.

Neither outlet reported details of the cause of the fire. The government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Disaster for #Iran as its largest naval #ship sinks
It is not clear if the fire was accidental, but tensions have loomed over the region for the last year amid reports of various attacks on vessels of Iran and #Israel https://t.co/S2mgGqwLEF

— Shadi Alkasim (@Shadi_Alkasim) June 2, 2021

The fire broke out in "one of the systems" of the ship, says a navy statement without elaborating

Read more: https://t.co/oR5Gr0kmD4#TheNews

— The News (@thenews_intl) June 2, 2021

Reuters came through with some more details:

“All efforts to save the vessel were unsuccessful and it sank,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

In April, Iran said one of its vessels, the Saviz, had been targeted in the Red Sea, after media reports the ship had been attacked with limpet mines.

That came after Israel and Iran had blamed each other for a series of reported attacks on cargo ships since late February.

Iran has refused to recognize Israel since its Islamic Revolution in 1979 that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to its existence.

The shipping incidents have occurred since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January, pledging to rejoin Iran’s 2015 nuclear containment deal with six world powers – abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump in a move welcomed by Israel – if Tehran returns to full compliance with the accord.