# Iran offers escort to Gaza blockade-runners - what can they actually do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326 "2010-06-07T19:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/1 "2010-06-07T19:26:21Z")
Iran has offered to send Revolutionary Guard naval units to escort the next folks who try to run the Gaza blockade: [Gaza blockade: Iran offers escort to next aid convoy | Gaza | The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/06/gaza-blockade-iran-aid-convoy) I don’t believe it’s likely that the “Free Gaza” folks will take them up on it - they really want to be perceived as innocent nonviolent protestors. (Whether they are or not is for a GD thread.) But let’s say they accepted the offer of an escort - what sort of escort could Iran provide? How many ships could they send, how far from Iranian waters could they send them, and how would they likely fare against Israeli forces if shooting started? Please note - I know this is a touchy subject. I’m expressly _not_ asking about the moral or legal correctness of the actions of any parties involved here. I’m asking about Iran’s capacity to field an “escort” force in the Med, and how that force would compare to Israel’s blockade in military terms - if there’s a fight, who likely wins? This is a question that would be best answered by a discussion of the Iranian and Israeli order of battle, logistical capacities, training, and military doctrines. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/2 "2010-06-07T19:54:11Z")
Wouldn’t Israel have considerable air superiority in the Med? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/3 "2010-06-07T19:58:45Z")
Long hike for the Iranians (are military ships allowed to transit the Suez Canal?). Beyond that there really is nothing they can do. The blockade keepers and blockade runners are engaged in a game of chicken. The Iranians, to do anything meaningful beyond showing the flag, would need to engage the Israelis if the Israelis engage the blockade runner. That would be an overt act of war. No way Iran wants to get into that. Not to mention they would then almost certainly lose the ships they sent. So, just saber rattling and both sides know it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/4 "2010-06-07T21:35:47Z")
Iran doesn’t have the forward-projection capability to maintain a naval force in the Mediterranean, so it’s a moot point. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/5 "2010-06-07T21:48:47Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > Wouldn’t Israel have considerable air superiority in the Med? In the sense that Israel would have its entire air force and Iran would have nothing, yes. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/6 "2010-06-07T21:58:47Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Iran doesn’t have the forward-projection capability to maintain a naval force in the Mediterranean, so it’s a moot point. Exactly. The old story about fights says “never pull a gun unless you are prepared to use it.” A warship or flotilla would need permission to put ashore for supplies, etc. I doubt Egypt would let them use the canal. I have trouble imagining anywhere, except maybe Syria, letting them put in for supplies, fuel, whatever. Even Syria - this isn’t the situation like here, where we’re glad to see a ship from the French or German or Australian navy drop in for a visit. This is a nutbar inviting a surprise pre-emptive air attack on your port facilities. The politics and positioning are also much more serious. Why make your rival look better than you to the Palestinians you may want to befriend? As for ability - you need to refuel the ships, supply them with replacement ammo, rather difficult on the high seas; the Israelis have subs and can sink Iranian ships, I suspect Iranian anti-submarine warfare capabilities are limited. Not sure what their naval forces are like, but I doubt they have a significant number of sea-going vessels than can be spared from watching the home caostline. Once the Iranians efffectively opened fire or rammed IDF craft and basically declared war, any vessels even 200 miles away or more are free targets. Heck, if they declared their intentions ahead of time, likely the flotilla would meet with an unfortunate accident half-way around Africa. In case you haven’t noticed, the middle-eastern governments are the mother of all boasters, but rarely follow through with those threats. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/7 "2010-06-07T22:38:41Z")
It’s not an offer that’s meant to be taken up on. But for what it’s worth, I don’t think Iran were thinking destroyers. They _have_ three destroyers, but they’re all well past 50 years old and mostly used for port safety. (Think “big” guns with very, very restricted mobility) They also have something on the order of three corvettes and five frigates, some submarines and a plethora of small missile boats. In short, nothing an US Battle Group or the IDF Air Force couldn’t send to the bottom of the ocean if they really wanted to. But as I said, I don’t think Iran were thinking capital ships or even battleships, but rather small troop carriers or MTBs stuffed with marines. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/8 "2010-06-07T22:40:48Z")
> **[Iranian Warships](https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ships.htm)** > > The Iranian navy has always been the smallest of its three principle services, having about 14,500 personnel in 1986, down from 30,000 in 1979. Throughout the 1970s, the role of the navy expanded as Iran recognized the need to defend the region's... This is their big stuff: A submarine Two destroyers Five missile boats **what can they actually do?** 1. They can make annoying noises on the diplomatic circuit. 2. If they can get to the Mediterranean, they can sink. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/9 "2010-06-07T22:59:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Long hike for the Iranians (are military ships allowed to transit the Suez Canal?) If they were (I didn’t both to Google for that one :o) would the Egyptians allow Iran to send military vessels through its territory like so? I was under the impression that Egypt was one of those Middle Eastern nations not keen on Iranian influence spreading. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/10 "2010-06-07T23:42:53Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > If they were (I didn’t both to Google for that one :o) would the Egyptians allow Iran to send military vessels through its territory like so?. Yes they would: > **[Suez Canal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canal)** > > The Suez Canal (/ˈsuː.ɛz/; Arabic: قناة السويس, Qanāt as-Suwais) is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest of Egypt). It is the border between Africa and Asia. The 193.30-kilometre-long (120.11 mi) canal is a key trade route between Europe and Asia. > In 1858, French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps formed the Compagnie de Suez for the e... "Under international treaty, it may be used “in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag.” ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/11 "2010-06-07T23:46:49Z")
Ah, so even if the Egyptians took a dislike to the Iranian’s motives, they’d be obliged to let them through then. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-offers-escort-to-gaza-blockade-runners-what-can-they-actually-do/542326/12 "2010-06-08T01:15:50Z")
[This article](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7145374.ece) has Iran saying it will send Red Crescent flagged ships to breech the blockade. Which seems less a military threat and more of them just wanting to provoke an incident for PR purposes.