Islamic Republic of Iran Navy saves cargo ship from pirates

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy warship fleet has thwarted four attempts by pirates to hijack an Iranian commercial ship in the Red Sea.

On Monday, Hadis cargo ship was attacked four times by pirates while en route from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Iran’s 15th fleet of warships saved the ship through their timely action and effective use of firepower, Mehr News Agency reported.

Iran’s Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard maritime trade and in particular ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

The waters off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia are considered the world’s most dangerous for repeated piracy attempts.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 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.