Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari made the remarks Thursday morning while welcoming the 35th flotilla of warships home and sending the 36th fleet to its overseas mission in the Gulf of Aden. He said “Iran’s Navy with its strong presence in high seas and providing security for Iranian oil tankers or merchant vessels in Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden will follow the path of the Iranian martyrs in Iran-Iraq war.”
“The Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in international waters for providing security for Iranian vessels and protecting the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran according to the statements of the Leader. The patrols will continue powerfully to ensure security for regional countries,” he noted.
Talking about the 35th flotilla of warships, he added “The situation of the 35th fleet was different; countries which did not allow the fleet to dock, didn’t ever think that it could successfully go on for 90 days considering the weather conditions in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.”
The 35th flotilla of warships repelled attacks by pirates, who were equipped with different types of heavy weapons, on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden in August.
In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been also conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, in order to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.
Iran’s Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.
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