Accident in Bandar Abbas: Iranian destroyer Sahand partially submerged

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, an Iranian naval destroyer “Sahand” was involved in an accident in the water of Bandar Abbas port city, the capital of Hormozgan Province, causing it to partially sink, according to Iranian media.

"As Sahand was being repaired at the wharf, it lost its balance due to water ingress. Fortunately, the vessel is being returned to balance quickly," the official news agency IRNA reported, citing a Navy statement.

Official media published a picture of an upside-down ship, and said that several people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

This is not the first incident of its kind. In June 2021, the largest ship belonging to the Iranian Navy sank in the Gulf of Oman after it caught fire in mysterious circumstances, semi-official news agencies reported.

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported that efforts to save the giant logistical support ship, Kharg, were unsuccessful. The ship, named after the major oil export terminal island, had all its crew members safely disembark.

The Sahand is one of Iran’s recent indigenous frigates based on the British-designed Vosper Mark 5. These were supplied by Britain before the revolution and remain in service with the Iranian Navy. The newer Moudge class ships, including Sahand, are iterative improvements with alternative weapon fits. Sahand had distinctive sloping sides which appear more modern and may attempt to reduce its radar signature.

Since construction, the ship had been upgraded to include a new AESA radar, 4-8 medium-range air-defense missiles, and double the number of anti-ship missiles.