Name Alborz Ordered 1960 Laid down 3 March 1968 Construction started 1969 Length 94 m | Namesake Zaal Yard number 1080 Commissioned 1 March 1971 Launched 4 March 1969 Draft 3.25 m | |
Builders Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness | ||
Iranian frigate Alborz (in Persian البرز), a British-made Vosper Mark V class frigate (also known as the Alvand class in Iran), was commissioned in 1971 as part of a four-ship order.
The ship was originally called Zaal, named after Zaal, a mythical warrior of ancient Iran (son of Sām and father of Rostam) and an important character in the Shahnameh. But after the Islamic Revolution it was renamed Alborz, after the Alborz mountain range.
On 1 June 1987 Alborz stopped a large bulk carrier (Vevey) and searched it for possible war material for Iraq. Although this was within the Iranian captain's right to do so under international law, this became known as the first search-and-seizure of the Iran–Iraq War.
In January 2010 the ship was sent to the Gulf of Aden, to help protect ships from Somali Piracy.
In April 2015, Alborz was deployed along with the supply vessel Bushehr to Yemen.