Iranians Unhappy with German Dolphin Deal
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting website has a piece today on the German decision to build, sell at a discount, and transfer to Israel two Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines—“Berlin sell 2 Submarines to Zionists” manufactured by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW).
The two new boats will join the other three Dolphins already in Israeli service. The two recent additions will, however, have longer range and larger torpedo tubes. There is little doubt, as the IRIB post notes, that the Dolphins give Israel a nuclear retaliatory (i.e., deterrent) capability. That assumes, of course, that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is deterrable.
I suspect that the Israelis keep one of their three existing Dolphins deployed in the North Arabian Sea, probably with nuclear warheads. I force of five available boats will make it much easier for the naval service of the IDF to maintain a boat at all times in the North Arabian Sea.
