Iran Navy to extend presence to Atlantic Ocean soon: cmdr.

Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says Iranian naval forces will extend their presence to the Atlantic Ocean in the near future.

“The powerful presence of Iranian Navy in the high seas has proven the Islamic Republic’s [naval] might,” Sayyari said on Monday.

We have proved through continued presence of our vessels in free waters that we are capable of showing the country’s might in the international arenas, he added.

“Taking advantage of [available] potentialities in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean is among the most important ways of promoting sustainable development of the country,” the commander noted.

Iran’s Navy has been expanding its presence in the international waters since last year, deploying vessels to the Indian Ocean and around the Horn of Africa. It also dispatched two ships via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean for the first time in February 2011.

Moreover, in line with the international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to shield the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

The country has repeatedly clarified that its military might is merely based on the nation’s defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.