“Dark Chill in the Persian Gulf” – Iran's Conventional and Unconventional Naval Forces

Abstract

This article reviews the sustained growth of Iran's naval forces in the past two decades. It closely examines the Islamic Republic’s navy's war-waging capacity in the Persian Gulf, its new unconventional fighting philosophy, force imperatives, doctrinal underpinnings, combat objectives, and the implications that this might have on shipping and oil trade in the Persian Gulf. Experts have long speculated that Iran is developing its asymmetric capabilities aimed at paralysing the Persian Gulf and the eventual expansion of its sphere of influence. Interfering with the supply of oil would raise oil prices sharply and would certainly stall the still moderate global economic recovery, thereby plunging the world again into a global recession. Analysis shows that the modernisation of its naval forces might be the clearest indication that Iran may well be systematically developing the means to do so. This is brought home starkly by the beefing up of the Revolutionary Guards' Navy and its “swarming” capabilities. With a newfound assertiveness and aggressive tactics, the Iranian naval forces are now challenging the dominant force in the Persian Gulf – the US Navy. And even though the success of such an approach at this stage appears unlikely, they may still hold some key cards, to be able to pose a credible and effective threat.