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{{refimprove|date=January 2013}}
] visible on deck and a U.S. Navy landing craft alongside, ] ].]]
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=ital}}
The '''''Iran Ajr''''', formerly known as the ''Arya Rakhsh'', was a Japanese-built ] used by ] to lay ]s during the ]. Built in 1978, the 614-ton, 54-meter ship was powered by two ]s and featured a bow ramp for unloading cargo.
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image=]
| Ship caption=''Iran Ajr'', 1986
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header=
| Ship country= Iran
| Ship flag= {{Shipboxflag|Iran|naval}}
| Ship name= ''Iran Ajr''
| Ship registry=
| Ship ordered=
| Ship awarded=
| Ship builder=Teraoka Shipyard - Minamiawaji, Japan<ref name=shipyd>{{cite web |url=http://maritime-connector.com/ship/iran-ajr-7807196/ |title=7807196 Iran Ajr |publisher=Maritime Connector |access-date=29 June 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204014241/http://maritime-connector.com/ship/iran-ajr-7807196/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| Ship original cost=
| Ship yard number=
| Ship way number=
| Ship laid down=
| Ship launched=
| Ship sponsor=
| Ship christened=''Arya Rakhsh''<ref name=shipyd/>
| Ship completed=
| Ship acquired=by purchase, 1978
| Ship commissioned=
| Ship decommissioned=
| Ship in service=
| Ship out of service=
| Ship renamed=''Iran Ajr'' (1980)
| Ship reclassified=
| Ship refit=
| Ship struck=
| Ship reinstated=
| Ship homeport=
| Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|7807196}}
| Ship motto=
| Ship nickname=
| Ship honors=
| Ship fate=Seized and scuttled by U.S. Navy, 26 September 1987
| Ship notes=Originally acquired by ] as part of pre-1979 Revolution defense build-up. Was intended to be the first of a class of four.
| Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header=
| Header caption=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ajr-specs.htm |title=Iran Ajr/Hejaz Class |work=globalsecurity.org |date=2012 |access-date=29 August 2012 |archive-date=26 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626100253/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ajr-specs.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Ship class=
| Ship type= ]/]
| Ship tonnage=
| Ship displacement=*{{Convert|614|t|LT|lk=on|abbr=on}} empty
*{{Convert|2,274|t|LT|abbr=on}} full load
| Ship length= {{Convert|53.85|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam= {{Convert|10.81|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught= {{convert|3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship power=
| Ship propulsion= 2 × diesel engines, 2 screws
| Ship speed= {{Convert|11|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range=
| Ship boats=
| Ship capacity=
| Ship troops=
| Ship complement=30
| Ship time to activate=
| Ship sensors=
| Ship EW=
| Ship armament=* 2 × {{Convert|12.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} machine guns
* Variable number of mines of various types


| Ship armour=
The ''Iran Ajr'' was the focus of one of the most dramatic moments of ], the covert part of ], the mission to protect U.S.-flagged petroleum-carrying ships in the ].
| Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''''Iran Ajr''''' ({{Langx|fa|ایران اجر||Iran Gift}}), formerly known as the ''Arya Rakhsh'', was a Japanese-built ] used by ] to lay ]s during the ].<ref name="nohigherhonor">{{cite web | last = Peniston | first = Bradley | title = Capturing the Iran Ajr | work = No Higher Honor | year = 2006 | url = http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor/pic-iranajr.shtml | access-date = 29 June 2015 | archive-date = 29 June 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120629130249/http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor/pic-iranajr.shtml | url-status = live }}</ref> Built in 1978, the 614-ton, 54-meter ship was powered by two ]s and featured a bow ramp for unloading cargo. She was ] in 1987.


==Iran–Iraq War==
On ] ], U.S. forces tracked the ship and dispatched Army helicopters from the Navy ] ] to shadow it. When the aviators reported that people aboard the ''Iran Ajr'' were laying mines, the U.S. commander in the Persian Gulf ordered the Army pilots to "stop the mining." The helicopters fired on the ship, killing some of the mariners and chasing others into the water. A team of ] ] later boarded the ship, confirmed the presence of mines, and detained the surviving Iranians. On 26 September, they ] the ship in international waters.
On 21 September 1987, U.S. forces involved in ] – the covert part of ], the mission to protect U.S.-flagged ]-carrying ships in the ] – tracked ''Iran Ajr'' and dispatched ] helicopters from the ] ] {{USS|Jarrett|FFG-33}} to shadow her. When the aviators reported that people aboard ''Iran Ajr'' were laying ], the U.S. commander in the Persian Gulf ordered the pilots to "stop the mining." The helicopters fired on the ship, killing some of the crewmen and chasing others into the water.{{cn|date=September 2024}} A team of ] ] later boarded the ship, confirmed the presence of mines, and detained the 26 surviving Iranians.<ref name="upi1">{{cite news |title=Rear Admiral Harold J. Bernsen, commander of the U.S.... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/10/04/Rear-Admiral-Harold-J-Bernsen-commander-of-the-US/9765560318400/ |date=4 October 1987}}</ref>


] ] said later that the detainees "were given the opportunity to seek ]. I think that was stated in Washington." Bernsen was "not actually present" when the offers were made by "an officer on my staff," whom he refused to identify. There were no State Department personnel present at the time, he said, but it was within his authority to make the offer in conformity with the policies of the ]. "I think it was done very simply, and very generously."<ref name=upi1/>
When the ] struck a mine the following April, Navy explosive ordnance specialists matched the serial numbers of nearby unexploded mines to the ones aboard the ''Iran Ajr''. This evidence of Iranian involvement in the ''Roberts'' mining led to the biggest surface-warfare battle since ], the retribution campaign of ] ] called ].


On 26 September, ] MU5 Detachment 5 ] the ship in ].
The captured colors of the ''Iran Ajr'' are in the ].


When the U.S. Navy guided-missile frigate {{USS|Samuel B. Roberts|FFG-58}} struck a mine in the Persian Gulf in April 1988, U.S. Navy explosive ordnance specialists matched the serial numbers of nearby unexploded mines to the ones aboard ''Iran Ajr''. This evidence of Iranian involvement in the mining of ''Samuel B. Roberts'' led to the biggest surface-warfare naval battle since ], the retribution campaign of 18 April 1988 called ].<ref name="nohigherhonor"/>
==See also==

* ]
The captured ] of ''Iran Ajr'' are in the ].
* ]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Wise|first=Harold Lee|title=Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf 1987-88|url=http://www.insidethedangerzone.com|location=Annapolis|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1-59114-970-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Crist|first1=David|title=The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict With Iran|date=2012|publisher=The Penguin Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-59420-341-1}}


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* *
* *


{{1987 shipwrecks}}
==Further Reading==
{{Iran–United States relations}}
*{{cite book|
{{coord missing|Indian Ocean}}
author=Wise, Harold Lee|
title=|
location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press|
year=2007|
id=ISBN 1-59114-970-3}}


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Latest revision as of 17:55, 17 November 2024

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Iran Ajr, 1986
History
Iran
NameIran Ajr
BuilderTeraoka Shipyard - Minamiawaji, Japan
ChristenedArya Rakhsh
Acquiredby purchase, 1978
RenamedIran Ajr (1980)
IdentificationIMO number: 7807196
FateSeized and scuttled by U.S. Navy, 26 September 1987
NotesOriginally acquired by Imperial Iranian Navy as part of pre-1979 Revolution defense build-up. Was intended to be the first of a class of four.
General characteristics
TypeLanding ship/Minelayer
Displacement
  • 614 t (604 long tons) empty
  • 2,274 t (2,238 long tons) full load
Length53.85 m (176 ft 8 in)
Beam10.81 m (35 ft 6 in)
Draught3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Propulsion2 × diesel engines, 2 screws
Speed11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement30
Armament
  • 2 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns
  • Variable number of mines of various types

Iran Ajr (Persian: ایران اجر, lit. 'Iran Gift'), formerly known as the Arya Rakhsh, was a Japanese-built landing craft used by Iran to lay naval mines during the Iran–Iraq War. Built in 1978, the 614-ton, 54-meter ship was powered by two diesel engines and featured a bow ramp for unloading cargo. She was scuttled in 1987.

Iran–Iraq War

On 21 September 1987, U.S. forces involved in Operation Prime Chance – the covert part of Operation Earnest Will, the mission to protect U.S.-flagged petroleum-carrying ships in the Persian Gulf – tracked Iran Ajr and dispatched United States Army helicopters from the United States Navy guided-missile frigate USS Jarrett (FFG-33) to shadow her. When the aviators reported that people aboard Iran Ajr were laying mines, the U.S. commander in the Persian Gulf ordered the pilots to "stop the mining." The helicopters fired on the ship, killing some of the crewmen and chasing others into the water. A team of United States Navy SEAL commandos later boarded the ship, confirmed the presence of mines, and detained the 26 surviving Iranians.

Rear Admiral Harold Bernsen said later that the detainees "were given the opportunity to seek political asylum. I think that was stated in Washington." Bernsen was "not actually present" when the offers were made by "an officer on my staff," whom he refused to identify. There were no State Department personnel present at the time, he said, but it was within his authority to make the offer in conformity with the policies of the US Department of State. "I think it was done very simply, and very generously."

On 26 September, EOD MU5 Detachment 5 scuttled the ship in international waters.

When the U.S. Navy guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck a mine in the Persian Gulf in April 1988, U.S. Navy explosive ordnance specialists matched the serial numbers of nearby unexploded mines to the ones aboard Iran Ajr. This evidence of Iranian involvement in the mining of Samuel B. Roberts led to the biggest surface-warfare naval battle since World War II, the retribution campaign of 18 April 1988 called Operation Praying Mantis.

The captured colors of Iran Ajr are in the U.S. Navy Museum.

References

  1. ^ "7807196 Iran Ajr". Maritime Connector. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  2. "Iran Ajr/Hejaz Class". globalsecurity.org. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. ^ Peniston, Bradley (2006). "Capturing the Iran Ajr". No Higher Honor. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Rear Admiral Harold J. Bernsen, commander of the U.S..." 4 October 1987.

Further reading

External links

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1987
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