Tasnim � Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said his ministry is resolved to establish �sustainable security� in Makran, a stretch of coast southeast of Iran emerging as a major naval base and a hub of maritime trade.


Addressing a ceremony held on Monday for signing a contract on the construction of a pipeline between the Iranian southeastern cities of Chabahar and Iranshahr, Brigadier General Hatami referred to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei�s emphasis on the need for the development of the Makran Coasts, and said, the Armed Forces, as pioneers of development projects in the country, has assumed the responsibility to develop the Makran Coasts.

�The Defense Ministry�s presence in the project demonstrates the ministry�s determination to achieve sustainable security in the region in social, economic, cultural and other spheres,� he added.

The coasts of Makran, also known as Pasabandar, is located in Iran's southeastern region, next to the Oman Sea.

The strategic area has attracted the attention of many Iranian decision-makers and military officials, particularly after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei stressed the need for development of the region.

In November 2014, in a meeting with high-ranking Navy commanders, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The issue of development of the coasts of Makran is also among those basic tasks, and the plans for that region should be carried out more rapidly."

The Navy is now developing a naval base at the coastal area of Pasabandar.