Iran Navy carries out 138 anti-piracy missions: Iran Cmdr.

Iran Navy commander says the country’s naval forces have conducted at least 138 anti-piracy missions in international waters.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Sunday that pirates dread approaching Iranian vessels as Iran’s naval forces are in full control of the country’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

He added that Iran and Oman recently staged joint rescue and relief drills in Iranian territorial waters south of Hormuz Island, noting that Tehran is ready to conduct joint naval exercises with regional states.

On January 22, selected marine and airborne units of the Iranian and Omani navies conducted joint rescue and relief drills. A number of Iranian and Omani naval vessels, helicopters, and planes were present in the exercise that was successfully conducted in less than 45 minutes.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for thousands of vessels traveling annually between Asia, Europe and the Americas.

However, attacks by heavily armed Somali pirates on speedboats have prompted some of the world’s largest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and reroute cargo vessels around southern Africa, leading to climbing shipping costs.