According to Harmer, the fact that she was a naval vessel would deter foreign navies from an attempt to prevent her operations.[12] After Kharg's 2011 visit to Syria via the Suez Canal, U.S. Navy officer Joshua C. Himes opined that "the Kharg will raise suspicion simply due to its logistics capacity and potential to transport weapons/materiel to Iranian surrogates in the region".[13]