The Iranian Navy frigate Sahand sank entirely on July 9, 2024, in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, according to the Nournews Agency.

The warship capsized on July 7, 2024, during repairs due to water ingress.

It was repositioned with tremendous effort on July 8 but eventually succumbed after the vessel’s rope broke.

Nournews, a Supreme National Security Council-affiliated news agency, reported that the Sahand warship, which was rebalanced with great difficulty, has now sunk entirely after the ship’s rope broke.

Efforts to stabilize the ship were ineffective, eventually sinking in shallow waters.

The Sahand, a Moudge-class frigate, was launched in December 2018.

The vessel’s displacement was 1,300 tonnes, and it boasts powerful weaponry, including anti-aircraft batteries, electronic warfare systems, helicopter flight deck, sophisticated radar systems, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and torpedo launchers.

Recent advancements, including new radar systems and expanded medium-range air-defense and anti-ship missiles, might have led to the ship’s instability.

Several people were injured and hospitalized after the incident, though the exact timing is unknown.

The loss of the Sahand highlights the continuous challenges Iran’s naval forces face.

Despite developing a substantial domestic armaments industry to avoid international sanctions and embargoes, the government continues struggling to maintain and modernise its naval fleet.

The first Sahand, a British-built Alvand-class frigate, was destroyed by US forces in 1988, killing 45 crew members.

The sinking of the current Sahand is another setback for the Iranian Navy.

Reference: Reuters