Navy Present in High Seas to Show Iran’s Might: Commander
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the Navy’s presence in international waters is aimed at demonstrating the Islamic Republic’s power and extending a message of peace and friendship.
“No one would have believed that we could have presence in high seas, but we did go to international waters and made port calls in different parts of the world to display (Iran’s) might, prevent Iranophobia and extend a message of peace and friendship,” the senior commander said on Tuesday.
He further referred to the 44th flotilla’s presence in the Atlantic Ocean and said the flotilla will return to the country on March 5.
The Navy’s 44th flotilla, comprised of Bushehr logistic warship and Alvand destroyer, set sail for the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in mid-October to protect Iranian trade vessels against piracy in the unsafe zone.
It then sailed around the African continent and arrived in the Atlantic Ocean in late November.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari highlighted the Navy’s anti-piracy achievements, saying his forces have escorted 3850 Iranian merchant vessels and oil tankers and also provided assistance to 25 vessels from other countries in the Gulf of Aden.
“Today, we are one of the main elements in the fight against terrorism in the Gulf of Aden,” he went on to say.
