Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari reaffirmed Iran’s navy legitimate presence in the Gulf of Aden and dismissed rumors of granting permission to search Iranian ships.
In an interview to Al-Alam News Channel, Rear Admiral Sayyari reiterated that the Iranian vessels are in international waters and will continue their legitimate patrolling in the area to safeguard Iran’s international shipping.
The 34th fleet of the Iranian Navy, which comprises the Bushehr logistic vessel and Alborz destroyer, is currently in the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and is patrolling the area and conducting its mission, Sayyari said on Saturday.
Answering a question about American-Saudi claim that the Iranian flotilla suspected of carrying weapons for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah fighters, Sayyari insisted, “I defined the mission, its objectives and its location and this will give a crushing response to them.”
He also rejected that the Navy would reverse and head home just because of the groundless claims and leave Iranian merchant ships unprotected.
He also added that all the moves of the Iranian fleet were easy to monitor and the vessels were performing in line with the Islamic Republic’s policy of safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region.
Iran’s presence in international waters is to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries and this presence is with full power, the commander stressed.
He also dismissed reports about a warning to Iranian ships in the Gulf of Aden by any American or Saudi ship and added that he is just doing his duty in obedience to orders from Iranian superior commanders.
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