An Iranian naval commander says Irans Navy maintains a powerful presence in regional waters to safeguard the countrys national interests.Rear Admiral Ali Vafayi, the missile commander of the Navy, said Saturday that naval forces control nearly 3,000 kilometers of the countrys water borders and guarantee trade in international waters as well.
Today, operations to rescue merchant vessels from pirates ... are among the Iranian Navys smallest missions, he added.
Vafayi said that a clear example of the Navys powerful presence in international waters was its manner of carrying out missions.
The commander also stressed that the Iranian Navy was fully prepared to counter any aggression against the country.
In recent years, the Iranian Navy has increased its presence in international waters, including the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea, to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.
In line with international efforts against piracy, the Navy has also been conducting patrols in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.
The Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its mission in international waters.
Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Thursday that naval forces recently thwarted an attack by pirates on a Liberian-flagged vessel in the Indian Ocean.
He added that the ship was sailing in the north of the Indian Ocean when it came under attack by pirates and sent a distress signal which was picked up by Iranian naval forces who rushed to rescue the vessel.
By Press TV
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