Report: Iran Deploys Troops And Missiles To Eritrea

A report from The Cutting Edge caught my eye yesterday that has me wondering just what's going on between Iran and Eritrea.

Iranian ships and submarines have deployed an undisclosed number of Iranian troops and weapons at the Eritrean port town of Assab, according to opposition groups, foreign diplomats, and NGOs in the area.

The city of Assab sits at the Horn of Africa in the Arabian Sea. As such, Assab offers a strategic position as the world nervously eyes the precarious routes through which a seaborne oil traverses daily.

Local sources have reported that Iran recently sent soldiers and a large number of long-range and ballistic missiles. The military basing came after Iran signed an accord with Eritrea to revamp the Russian-built refinery used by the Eritrean Oil Company, also known as Assab Oil Company. As the world’s second largest import of gasoline, Iran is sensitive to a Western plan to obstruct its access to refined product as a part of broad sanctions provoked by Teheran’s nuclear activities. Iran needs nearby oil refining ability. Using protection of the Eritrean refinery as a pretext, Iran has set up its military operation there, and has been patrolling with unmanned surveillance drones.

First, I'm immediately skeptical that a submarine was involved, even if parts of the story are true. The Iranians just don't have the skill to pull that off and their subs are so small they wouldn't be a useful platform to transport much of anything.

It's certainly plausible that Iranian military personnel might be in Eritrea in an advisory (read "manipulative") role. It's also plausible that the Iranians may have delivered some form of missiles to Eritrea, either through a "basing rights" agreement or as payment-in-kind for use of Eritrean refining facilities, though what type of missile is in doubt. The Iranians provided coastal defense cruise missiles to Hezbollah, and some say Iranians were the actual operators. It's also possible that the Iranians are selling coastal defense or even short-range ballistic missiles to Eritrea so they can press their territorial disputes.

I see no reason to be alarmed at this point, but it will be interesting to see if the rumors that military hardware and personnel were transferred or deployed to Eritrea prove to be true.