Body of Second Iranian Sailor Found

The body of the second missing sailor from the Iranian frigate Damavand has been recovered. Amir Basereh, an Iranian Navy commando, was one of six sailors who went over the side when the Damavand grounded at the port of Bandar-e Anzali. Four men were rescued and two went missing, including Basereh and officer Lieutenant Bijan Zare’. Zare's body was found on January 17. 

The Damavand, a newly built 1500 tonne frigate, was approaching its pier at Anzali on January 10 when it went aground on a rocky jetty. The Iranian Navy cited high winds and waves as a causal factor. Initial accounts from official sources suggested that the damage was slight, but on January 28, the vessel foundered and sank.

Breakwaters at Bandar-e Anzali (DigitalGlobe)

The Damavand was a Moudge-class (Wave-class) vessel built at a yard in Bandar-e Anzali and launched in 2014, towards the end of the sanctions period. The Iranian media refers to the design as a destroyer, though its tonnage is in line with that of a modern corvette or light frigate. The class is equipped with a light naval gun, torpedoes, and an indigenously-designed anti-ship missile. One more is in active service and five are under construction.