Week 17: Iran Flashcards
When did Iran introduce Islam as a form of governance?
1979
What remains as a primary threat to U.S. forces in Iraq?
Iran-supported Popular Mobilization Committee-affiliated Shia miltias
U.S. destroyer that defended three other U.S. warships from missile attacks in the Red Sea?
USS Mason (DDG-87)
How are regime hardliners challenging rival centrists?
- Undermining their domestic reform efforts
- Pushing a more confrontational posture
Centrist President Hasan Ruhani has gained support from hardliners. But still struggles to address ongoing popular discontent.
What has continued to draw attention to the need for major economic reforms?
- Nationwide protests, mainly focused on economic grievances.
What has limited President Ruhani’s ability to reform the economic remains?
- Pervasive corruption
- Weak banking sector
- Business climate that discourages foreign investment and trade
Military capabilities Iran has improved to target U.S. and allied military assets
- Ballistic missiles
- Unmanned explosive boats
- Naval mines
- Submarines and advanced torpedoes
- Armed and attack UAVs
- Anti-ship ballistic missiles
- Air defenses
Iran’s missile capabilities
Largest ballistic missle force in the Middle East
- Can strike as far as 2,000 km from Iran’s borders
- Russian SA-20c-SAM gave Iran its most advanced long-range air defense system
- Domestically producing medium-range SAMs and developing long-range SAMs
What did Iran do in September 2018?
- Struck Kurdish groups in Iraq
- Struck ISIS in Syria
Demonstrates Iran’s missile precision as well as their ability to use UAVs in conjunction with ballistic missiles
What does IRGC stand for?
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
What are Iran’s Navies?
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN)
- Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN)
Mission of the IRGCN
Empasizes an asymmetric doctrine to ensure national security in the Persian Gulf against regional neighbors and foreign presence.
Mission of the IRIN
Strategic Force
- Employs a more conventional doctrine and focuses on forward presence and naval diplomacy
- Mission areas include
- Caspian Sea
- Gulf of Oman
- Out-of-area operations
How has the IRGCN been reorganized in 2007?
- Pursues smaller, faster platforms equipped with sophisticated weaponry
- Suited for its asymmetric doctrine
How has the IRIN been reorganized in 2007?
Largely neglected since the end of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s
- Undertaken a major recapitalization program to replace its surface fleet
- Augmenting their submarine force
Stats about the Strait of Hormuz
- 1/3 of all seaborne crude oil passes through here
- 21-mile-wide opening between Oman and Iran
- 30% of all natural gas shipped on tankers
What does FAC stand for?
Fast Attack Craft
Significance about the FAC
The IRGCN has focused mainly on smaller platforms
- Smaller, faster vessels
- Armed with capable weapon systems such as:
- Cruise missiles
- Torpedoes
What does FIAC stand for?
Fast Inshore Attack Craft
Significance of the FIAC
Lightly armed small boats
Mainstay of the IRGCN since the 1980’s
- Fitted with machine guns or rockets
- Used en masse
- Swarm tactics to harass merchant shipping
How has the U.S. Navy counted Iran’s “swarm boats” tech?
The U.S. has been developing an ASUW Littoral Defensive Anti Surface Warfare doctrine
Used in conjunction with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
Two Iranian missiles we’re studying
- Shahab-3 Medium-Range Missile
- Fateh-110 Short-Range Missile
Stats about the Shahab-3 missile
- Max range: 1,242 miles
- Liquid fueled
- Carries a single warhead
- Conventional high explosive warhead
- Nuclear warheads
- Can be launched from any location as a road mobile system
Stats about the Fateh-110 missile
- Solid fuel short range ballistic missile
- Carries:
- Nuclear
- Biological warheads
- Can be launched from any location as a road mobile system
Incident that occured on January 2008
Five Iranian patrol boats approached the:
- USS Port Royal (CG-67)
- USS Hopper (DDG-70)
- USS Ingraham (FFG-61)
In the Strait of Hormuz
Incident that occured on September 2009
- Iran admits to building a uranium enrichment plant near Qom
- Test-fires medium and longer range missiles that put Israel and US bases at risk
Incident that occured on July 2015
Iran agrees to limit nuclear activity in return for lifting international economic sanctions
Incident that occured on December 2011 - Present Day
Strait of Hormuz dispute
- 27DEC2011 - Started when Iranian VP Mohammad-Reza threatened to close the Strait
- April 2019 - Block any shipping if it was barred from using the strategic water way
- Coalition of countries responded by sending a flotilla of warships and warned Iran about closing the Strait
Incident that occured on January 2016
- Two U.S. Navy riverine command boats strayed into Iranian territorial waters 3 nm around Farsi Island
- Crew of nine men and one woman
- IRGC Navy seized the craft and held them on Farsi Island for 15 hours
