86th Iranian Navy Flotilla Completes Round-the-World Voyage, Re-enters Territorial Waters
The 86th flotilla of warships belonging to the Iranian Navy has returned to the nation's territorial waters following a circumnavigation of the world, as part of the Islamic Republic's ambitions to extend its naval power across international waters.
On Wednesday, a flotilla from the Iranian Navy, consisting of a domestically-made Dena destroyer and Makran forward base ship, completed an 8-month journey of 63,000 kilometers, circumnavigating the globe in a full 360 degrees, before entering the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On September 20, 2022, the 86th naval fleet departed Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on its mission around the world, first docking at Mumbai, India. After passing through the Bay of Bengal and the Strait of Malacca, the fleet made its next stop at Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
The flotilla sailed on, heading for the Java Sea, traversing the Strait of Makassar and then the Celebes Sea before finally entering the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean for the first time in Iran’s naval history.
The flotilla sailed across the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, stopping by Micronesia and Polynesia, before eventually arriving at the Strait of Magellan in the southern Americas. They then proceeded to cross the strait, entering the South Atlantic Ocean.
The 86th naval fleet then headed north, sailing past the coasts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, eventually coming to a stop in the port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and Brazil.
The naval squadron set sail from Rio de Janeiro and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, eventually arriving in Cape Town, South Africa. After stopping there for a few days, the flotilla continued on to the port of Salalah, Oman, where it stayed for 40 days before entering Iran’s territorial waters.
In two days, the 86th naval fleet is expected to arrive at the port city of Bandar Abbas.
The spokesperson for the FM expressed congratulations on the arrival of the flotilla.
Nasser Kan’ani, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, commended the 86th naval fleet for its circumnavigation of the globe, noting that this was the first time in Iranian history that such a feat was accomplished using only domestically manufactured warships.
Kan’ani expressed his congratulations to the great nation of Iran in a tweet written in Persian.
For the first time in its history, the Iranian Navy’s 86th flotilla of warships embarked on a round-the-world voyage, led by the all-Iranian destroyer Dena and the Makran forward base ship. Representing 29 provinces of the country, the voyage was another success on the international stage.
The plane arrived late
The plane’s arrival was delayed.
In June 2021, the Iranian Navy welcomed the Dena, a Mowj-class destroyer, to its fleet. This military vessel is outfitted with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes, and naval cannons.
The Makran is a 121,000-ton forward base ship that can accommodate up to five helicopters. It is mainly used to provide logistical support for other combat warships.
