Imperial Iranian Navy
| Iranian Navy | |
|---|---|
| Leadership | |
| Rear Admiral | Habibollah Sayyari |
| Branches and manpower | |
| Navy | 13,400 |
| Marines | 2,600 |
| Aviation | 2,000 |
| History | |
| History of the Iranian Navy | |
| Personnel | |
| List of Iranian Navy senior officers | |
| Iran's Navy Ranks Insignia | |
| Equipment | |
| Historical Vessels | |
| Current Vessels | |
The Iranian Navy, traditionally located in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf, has always been the smallest of the country's military forces. An Iranian navy in one form or another has existed since Achaemenid times in 500 BC; however, except for the Achaemanid navy, none of the following navies were particularly well organised or strong. It was only with the Pahlavi dynasty in the 20th century that Iran began to consider building a strong navy to project its strength into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. In more recent years, the country has engaged in domestic ship building industries in response to the western-backed first Gulf War (also known as the Iran–Iraq War), which left it without suppliers during an invasion.
The Imperial Iranian Navy (IIN) was the name of Iran's navy, until the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
It was nearly destroyed during a surprise attack by Britain and the Soviet Union in World War II, which began the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. Numerous Iranian ships were sunk or damaged while still moored at their home ports.
Following World War II, the fleet began replacing destroyed warships with destroyers, frigates and many smaller vessels, including powerboats and hovercraft, many of which originated from the U.S. and UK, which had played a part in destroying much of the original equipment in World War II. In the 1970s, Iran planned to extend its naval reach into the Indian Ocean; but this goal was curtailed by the revolution, and the ensuing western-backed first Gulf War (Iran–Iraq War) (1980–1988) which left it hampered in the face of the invasion.
The Imperial Iranian Navy regained control of the Tunb and Abu Musa islands on the 30th of November 1971, following the British withdrawal from these islands.
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