Iran to increase presence in intl. waters

The deputy commander of the Iranian Navy says the country plans to deploy more warships and destroyers in international waters.

“In the near future more flotillas as well as the Jamaran destroyer will be deployed in the waters of friendly countries and international watersfar far away,” Admiral Gholamreza Khadem Bigham was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying on Monday.

“As long as the sinister phenomena of piracy and sea terrorism exist in the Gulf of Aden, we will continue our mission [there],” he added.

“Today Iran’s Navy is a strategic force, which must have a continuous and widespread presence in the region, particularly in the Indian Ocean,” the deputy Navy commander said.

Admiral Khadem Bigham made the remarks upon the return of the ninth Iranian flotilla from its prolonged mission in the Gulf of Aden.

Iran’s ninth flotilla along with two destroyers was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden three months ago with the objective of protecting Iranian commercial vessels against Somali pirates.

The tenth Iranian flotilla along with the Chiro and Lark destroyers has been dispatched in the Gulf of Aden.

Iran decided to send its warships in line with the international community’s efforts to provide security for ships traveling in the world’s busiest and most dangerous commercial route.

Over the past years Somali pirates have hijacking dozens of ships, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.