The Iranian ship Makran is seen in this Maxar Technologies satellite image from early May in the Persian Gulf around Larak Island. The vessel appears to be loaded with seven small fast-attack boats on its deck
Politico: Iranian warships appear to begin first Atlantic crossing as U.S. warns against weapons transfers
It's still unclear where the ships are headed, but docking in Venezuela is a concern.
Two Iranian Navy ships rounded the Cape of Good Hope for the first time and appear to be headed across the Atlantic, continuing a journey U.S. officials believe could ultimately end in Venezuela, according to a defense official with direct knowledge.
Tehran has threatened to send warships to the Western Hemisphere before but has aborted previous attempts. U.S. officials are not yet overly concerned, as there is still a small window of time for the ships to turn around or head to port instead of continuing the journey, the defense official said. But a successful crossing would be a significant demonstration of Iran’s naval capability and potentially provide Tehran a new foothold in America's near abroad.
Read more ....
Update: US tracking Iranian ships that may be headed into the Atlantic and for Venezuela (CNN)
WNU Editor: If the above satellite images are any indications on what one of these ships is carrying, it looks like a major arms shipment to Venezuela from Iran is underway. Another possible destination is Cuba.
