Iran sends two battleships to Gulf of Aden near Yemen

Middle East, News April 8, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Iranian navy has sent two military ships – a logistical ship and a destroyer – to the Gulf of Aden near Yemen and to the Bab-el-Mandeb strair.

The flotilla, which comprises the Bushehr logistic vessel and Alborz destroyer, left Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Wednesday, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on the sidelines of a ceremony to deploy the fleet.

The commander said that the 34th Fleet is sent on a mission “to provide [safety for] Iran’s shipping lines and protect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s interests in the high seas.”

Sayyari said that the flotilla also seeks to ensure safety for the vessels against pirates.

The Navy observes international law while conducting its mission in the north of the Indian Sea with full power, the commander stressed.

In recent years, Iran’s Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been 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.

Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies have imposed an air and naval blockade on Yemen as part of a two-week campaign to oust the Houthis, who have taken most of the country and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh.

AR/NN/HRB