TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari underlined that his forces are monitoring the foreign countries' movements in the region, adding that all shipping lines are safe and under control.

"No foreign movement escapes the scrutiny of the Islamic Republic's Navy and we can well establish security in our shipping lines and control them," Sayyari said, addressing an official ceremony to welcome the Iranian Navy's 41st flotilla which returned home after a 48-day mission in the international waters.


"The presence of the Islamic Republic's Navy in the free waters shows the country's capability and might to defend its interests in these regions and provide security to the commercial lines," he added.


The Navy's 41st fleet, comprising Lavan logistic warship and Shahid Naqdi destroyer, was conducting anti-piracy patrols in the high seas and Gulf of Aden.


The 41st flotilla of warships left Bandar Abbas port, in Southern Hormozgan province, for the Gulf of Aden on June 1.


The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.


According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.


The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.


In relevant remarks on Thursday, Admiral Sayyari underlined that Iran is the most secure country in the region due to its powerful defensive and military force despite all the insecurities caused by the presence of the trans-regional states in the Persian Gulf.


"Iran is an island of stability and security in the region," he said, addressing a ceremony in the Holy City of Qom.


Admiral Sayyari pointed to the Iranian Navy's preparedness, and said, "The Navy is now present in all international waters, including the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans."


By Fars News Agency