Iranian frigate Sabalan Iranian frigate Sabalan Sabalan (in Persian سبلان) is a British-made Vosper Mark V-class (or ) frigate in the Iranian Navy. Commissioned in June 1972 as part of a four-ship order, the "Sabalan" was originally named IIS "Rostam", after Rostam, a legendary hero in the Shahnameh, but was renamed after the Islamic revolution for Sabalan, the Iranian mountain. During the Iran–Iraq War, the warship became infamous for attacks against the crews of unarmed and often neutral tankers and other merchant ships. Before these attacks, "Sabalan"s captain would often board the ships and pretend to carry out a friendly inspection, sometimes even
Iranian frigate Sabalan set off from Bandar Abbas, on a reported three-month mission to the United States maritime borders. The mission was described by an Iranian admiral as a response to the ongoing presence of the United States Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, across the Persian Gulf. However, the trip to the Atlantic Ocean never happened and was called off in April 2014. Iranian frigate Sabalan Sabalan (in Persian سبلان) is a British-made Vosper Mark V-class (or ) frigate in the Iranian Navy. Commissioned in June 1972 as part of a four-ship order, the "Sabalan" was originally named IIS "Rostam", after