TEHRAN, Iran — Those that do not closely follow developments in the Middle East may not know that the rear admiral who commands the Islamic Republic of Iran’s naval forces, in a recent public appearance, stated that, due to the ongoing presence of the US Navy in the Persian Gulf, the Iranian Navy will be moving a significant number of its warships into the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and that they will be making port calls in the region.

The amount of global media attention that these Iranian ships will attract, together with the expected political, diplomatic and military response from the United States, will place the region under increased attention, which may also result in a hard look at the risks presented by the economic and diplomatic passport programs being operated in the Eastern Caribbean.

For several years, a number of Iranian nationals have acquired citizenship by investment (CBI) status and/or diplomatic passports in the Eastern Caribbean from among the five countries that offer them, predominantly Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis, though there has been a small number of passports issued in the other three nations.

This raises the possibility that these Iranian nationals, with dual citizenship acquired in the Eastern Caribbean, may come ashore, which they have the legal right to do, and perhaps establish residence or even a diplomatic presence in what is commonly referred to as America’s backyard.