Navy defends Iran interests in the Persian Gulf: Iran cmdr.

Iran Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the Iranian naval forces defend the country’s resources and interests in the Persian Gulf.

“The Navy assures [the Iranian nation] that it properly defends Iran’s interests and resources in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz,” Sayyari said on Sunday.

“The Navy powerfully defends Iran’s interests against foreigners’ expansionism through constructive interaction with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy,” he added.

Sayyari went on to note that deployment of the Iranian Navy fleet along the country’s coastal areas has had great achievements including raising hope among people in these areas and increasing their unity.

He stated that by dispatching the 22nd fleet of Iran’s warships to international waters, the Iranian Navy has displayed the Islamic Republic’s might and capabilities while transferring the Iranian-Islamic culture to other nations.

On October 13, Sayyari said that the Iranian Navy’s 22nd fleet of warships is currently patrolling the coasts of Djibouti and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Iran’s Navy has been multiplying its presence in the international waters since last year, deploying vessels to the Indian Ocean and dispatching two ships via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean for the first time in February 2011.

In addition, in line with international efforts to combat piracy, 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.