Brazilian President Lula postpones visit of two Iranian ships in Rio.

According to information published by Reuters on February 9, 2023, Brazilian President Lula informed the Iranian authorities that the two Iranian ships, IRIS Dena and IRIS Makran, should not dock in Brazil as initially planned.
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Iranian Navy's Moudge class frigate IRIS Dena. (Picture source: IRNA)

The Iranian Navy has sent two of its ships, IRIS Dena and IRIS Makran on a long voyage, which is a show of force by Iran. These were already sent to Indonesia a few months ago.

The two ships are currently in the Atlantic Ocean and they were to go to Rio de Janeiro on a trip not particularly desired by the United States. The Commander of the Iranian Navy Shahram Irani had even spoken of a passage through the Panama Canal.

Ships from the United States and other countries choose to traverse the Panama Canal to get from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, rather than taking the longer route around South America. The Panama Canal, a waterway connecting North and South America, provides a shorter passage for ships to reach their destinations in the Atlantic.

IRIS Dena and IRIS Makran were spotted by French and Australian authorities as they approached the EEZs of both countries during their deployments in the Pacific.

About IRIS Dena

The frigate has a displacement of 1,500 tonnes and is 95 meters (311.7 feet) long, with a beam of 11.1 meters (36.4 feet) and a draught of 3.25 meters (10.7 feet).

The IRIS Dena is powered by two 10,000 horsepower (7,500 kW) engines and four 740 horsepower (550 kW) diesel generators, which provide a top speed of 30 knots (55.6 km/h). The frigate has a complement of 140 personnel.

In terms of armament, the IRIS Dena is equipped with a range of weapons systems, including a 76 mm Fajr-27 naval gun, a 40 mm Fath-40 anti-aircraft gun or a 30mm Kamand close-in weapon system, two 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns. She also carries four Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles and four Mehrab surface-to-air missiles, which are a naval version of the Sayyad-2.