A senior Iranian military official confirmed that “the 77th strategic naval fleet of the Navy, comprising of the Sahand destroyer and the Markan ship, is present in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time to demonstrate the capabilities of Iran in the maritime arena”. Asked about the vessels, the State Department noted that the U.S. was “prepared to leverage our applicable authorities, including sanctions, against any actor that enables Iran’s ongoing provision of weapons to violent partners and to proxies”. Noting that “freedom of navigation is something that we espouse for ourselves and for our international partners”, a spokesperson underscored that “if Iran would seek to effect the transfer of weapons or other illicit materials, we would be prepared to hold Iran accountable”.