The 70th fleet of warships of the Iranian Navy returned to the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday after carrying out their mission in the international waters of Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
On the same day, the 71 th navy flotilla, consisting of the Alborz destroyer and the Khark helicopter carrier, were dispatched to international waters so as to fulfill their tasks.
Speaking at the welcoming ceremony of this naval fleet who carried out missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Second Admiral Jafar Tazkkor said, “Ensuring the security of Iran's commercial transportation lines, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, conveying the message of peace and friendship of Iran to other countries present in the Gulf of Aden are among the missions of the Iranian naval flotilla.”
Stating that security is Iran’s red line he stressed that the Islamic Republic will never give up protecting its interests.
In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in international waters to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates.
In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran
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