Iranian Navy Ships Arrive in Saudi Port

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News number: 9010173587 17:49 | 2012-02-04
TEHRAN (FNA)- The 18th flotilla of warships dispatched by Iran to the Gulf 
of Aden on an anti-piracy mission docked at the Saudi port city of Jeddah 
today, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on 
Saturday.

The Iranian Navy dispatched its 18th flotilla of warships to the Gulf of
Aden on January 21 to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers
against Somali pirates.

 
Addressing a ceremony here in Tehran today, Sayyari said the Iranian Navy's
fleet of warships, comprised of Khark warship and Shahid Naqdi destroyer,
docked at Jeddah this morning, and added that the mission is part of the
Navy's moves in line with the orders of the Supreme Leader for having a
stronger presence in the high seas.

The commander said that the navy ships' 70-80-day mission is aimed at
demonstrating Iran's power in the high seas.

While enemies try to portray Iran's growing power as a threat to the
regional states, the Admiral indicated that such missions prove that Iran's
military power is used to defend the region and can, thus, defuse the plot
hatched by the enemies to spread Iranophobia.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden
since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered
cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send
their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the
pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the
territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the
Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because
Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.
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