IRIS Shahid Mahdavi
center | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Iran | |
| Name | Shahid Mahdavi |
| Namesake | Nader Mahdavi |
| Operator | Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |
| Builder | HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., South Korea[1] |
| Commissioned | 2000 |
| Recommissioned | March 2023 [2] |
| In service | 2023–2026 |
| Home port | Bandar Abbas |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk during the 2026 Iran conflict |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 36,000 t (35,000 long tons) |
| Length | 240 m (787 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 27 m (88 ft 7 in) |
| Speed | 33 km/h (21 mph) |
| Range | 33,000 km (21,000 mi) |
| Complement | 50 |
| Sensors & processing systems | 3D phased array radar, EW suite |
| Armament | 4 × Nawab air defense missiles, anti-aircraft gun systems, Qadr-474 cruise missiles, Zolfaghar anti-ship ballistic missiles |
| Aircraft carried | Able to carry different types of helicopters (e.g. Mi 17, Bell-412) and different types of drones. [3] |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter landing deck |
| Notes | Can carry Zulfikar submersible torpedo boats |
IRIS Shahid Mahdavi was a warship operated by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran that is capable of carrying helicopters, drones, and missile launchers. Shahid Mahdavi, originally a Panamax container ship, built by South Korea,[4] was the largest ship operated by IRGC Navy until the commissioning of IRIS Shahid Bagheri.[5]
She was three times the size of Shahid Roudaki (12,000 tons), the other Expeditionary Sea Base operated by IRGC Navy. The ship was launched in line with the stated aim of IRGC Navy to create an asymmetrical military strategy to disrupt the established order.[5]
She was destroyed by United States forces during the 2026 Iran conflict.[6]
History
Shahid Mahdavi is used for long-range deployments by IRGC Navy. The biggest advantage of this ship is her 150-metre flat deck. The ship was commissioned into service in March 2023 in the presence of IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.[7][8]
In line with the naming convention of the IRGC, the ship is named after a martyr. Shahid Mahdavi or Martyr Mahdavi is named after Nader Mahdavi, an Iranian guardsman killed by the U.S. Navy in 1987 during the Tanker War.[9]
The Shahid Mahdavi was deployed for the first time off Gulf of Aden in May 2023. In February 2024, the ship was used to launch two Zolfaghar or Dezful anti-ship ballistic missiles.[10] The ship crossed the Equator for the first time in its latest deployment.[11] The ship was converted from a container ship, formerly known as Sarvin into warship at the ISOICO Shipyard.[12][1]
In January 2026, the Shahid Mahdavi was present at the BRICS "Will for Peace" joint naval exercise at Simon's Town in South Africa.[13]
Shahid Mahdavi was sunk in the Gulf of Oman during the 2026 Iran war.[6]
Description
Shahid Mahdavi has been described as a 'Q-ship'. Q-ships are commercial ships that were outfitted with weapons, allowing them to ambush weaker ships or submarines during the World Wars.[14] This multipurpose warship is designed specifically for long-range operations and is equipped with missiles, air defense systems, and an advanced radar.[11]
In 2025 a manipulated image was offered via Iranian agency "Salam Pix", showing a top-down view of Shahid Mahdavi with several helicopters parked and several silhouettes of fighter jets painted on it`s deck. The fake image was distributed to French "Abaca Press" and British Alamy, and was republished by various news outlets during the 2026 Iran war.[15]
References
- ^ a b SARVIN, 6 May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Sails Into Southern Hemisphere, 6 May 2024, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capabilitye". Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capability". lowyinstitute. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ a b IRGC's indigenous Shahid Mahdavi warship ventures into Southern Hemisphere, May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ a b "Iranian navy badly beaten - list of losses". marineforum. 5 March 2026.
- ^ "IRGCN receives new vessels", janes, 13 March 2023, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capability". lowyinstitute. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Ship Expands Iran Revolutionary Guard's Reach to New Waters, 27 May 2022, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Sails Into Southern Hemisphere, 6 May 2024, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ a b IRGC's indigenous Shahid Mahdavi warship ventures into Southern Hemisphere, 4 May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Carrier Sails Into Oceanic Waters, Reaching Southern Hemisphere for First Time, 5 June 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Fabricius, Peter (14 January 2026). "SANDF apparently defied presidential orders to remove Iran from a joint naval exercise". Daily Maverick.
- ^ "Q-Ships, Easily the Weirdest Warships Ever, Are Back. But They Don't Make Sense in 2024", popularmechanics, 11 July 2020, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ Gefälschte Realität: Wie ein manipuliertes Bild zum Iran-Konflikt die Medienschaffenden täuschte, 13 March 2026, retrieved 13 March 2026