Iran’s navy escorted 1000 ships

Commander of Iran’s Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the country’s naval forces have escorted about 1,000 cargo ships and oil tankers since April 2009.

Rear Admiral Sayyari told on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic’s Navy has foiled over 13 pirate attacks in open waters since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (on March 22).

The Iranian commander noted that the Iranian naval forces are conducting active patrols in open seas, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea region and northern Indian Ocean.

Sayyari went on to state that the country’s patrolling warships have even saved some foreign ships and tankers from pirate attacks.

Earlier in May, he asserted that the Iranian Navy ranks first in the region in terms of its possession of advanced naval equipment, facilities and technologies.

According to Sayyari, the Navy’s sphere of operation has currently expanded to 2,000 kilometers from the previous 400 square kilometers, and the logistical coverage for naval groups has also been extended to more than 6,000 or 7,000 kilometers off the coast.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea, 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, rampant piracy off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia has made the waters among the most dangerous in terms of pirate activities.

Attacks by heavily armed Somali pirates on speedboats have compelled some of the world’s largest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and reroute cargo vessels around southern Africa, leading to a rise in shipping costs.