Executive Summary

Iran’s unveiling of its first domestically produced signals intelligence (SIGINT) ship, the Zagros, significantly strengthens its naval electronic surveillance and cyber intelligence capabilities. This development occurs amidst heightened regional tensions involving US actions against Iranian-backed groups and continued international focus on Iran’s nuclear programme. The Zagros is intended to improve Iran’s monitoring of maritime activities and bolster support for its regional proxies, raising maritime security concerns. Despite false claims that it was sunk, the Zagros‘s introduction marks a notable advancement in Iran’s naval power projection.