IIran Threatens To Torpedo US Carriers In The Persian Gulf

http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-threatens-to-torpedo-us-carriers-in-the-p...

Underscoring its desire to keep U.S. aircraft carriers from the Persian Gulf, a senior Iranian military commander today announced his possible plan to ambush the American fleet.

Chalk this one up to more bluster, or part of a mounting back and forth rhetoric headed nowhere good, either way — Tehran plans to rely on its subs.

Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency Jihad, Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri told FARS that Iran has the finest electric diesel submarines in the world, and that while the U.S. has focused on Tehran's "astonishing surface capabilities," it has forgotten about the underwater threat.

Amiri said he plans to slip his fleet of subs onto the Persian Gulf floor and "fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously."

Iran claims to have 17 Ghadir diesel electric subs in its fleet, and four have been photographed together, so the threat is not entirely without merit.

The Ghadir is incapable of holding a commando crew, and despite scant details it may be well-equipped to follow through on this most recent threat. 

Earlier this month Iran demanded the U.S. remove its carriers from the Gulf after the John C. Stennis passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi said  "We advise, warn and recommend [the U.S. Navy] not to return this carrier to its previous location in the Persian Gulf." 

"We are not in the habit of repeating the warning and we warn only once," Salehi said, without mentioning the Stennis.  

In a related update: FARS reports that President Obama is calling for direct talks with Iran and communicated this desire through a secret letter to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader.

(Apparently FARS crashed from huge traffic. I'm leaving the link in for when it comes back up).

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-threatens-to-torpedo-us-carriers-in-the-persian-gulf-2012-1#ixzz1kZJzFaoM

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