Iran's 15th fleet warships back home
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, Oct 9, IRNA -- Iran’s 15th fleet warships returned home Saturday from extraterritorial mission after successfully conducting counter-piracy operations abroad, the commander of the 15th fleet of Iranian warships, Captain Alahyar Majdi said on Sunday.
The official noted that Iran’s 15th fleet warships tracked all suspicious foreign military vessels in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, Bab el Mandeb strait and Red Sea.
The naval group comprising Alvand and Bushehr destroyers left Iranian waters on July 20, the commander noted.
The anti-terrorism declaration was cited by the 15th fleet of Iranian warships in the shipping corridor and the Islamic republic flag was waved in the international waters; the Iranin warships were on sea for 83 days and paved 8605 miles, Majdi added.
'60 military commands for about 640 times and 963 civilian units were followed by radio contacts; 34 trade ships and oil tankers were also protected,” he noted.
The 15th fleet of Iranian warships arrived at Iran's naval base in the port city of Bandar Abbas, located 1,563 kilometers (971 miles) south of the capital Tehran, on Saturday following its nearly three-month-long mission abroad.
Iran's navy commander, Admiral Habibollah Sayari and some local officials attended the ceremony of return of the 15th fleet of Iranian warships.
Iran's 16th fleet of warships, which include the Jamaran destroyer and the Bandar Abbas frigate, set sail for the Gulf of Aden on Sunday.
The Iranian Navy launched its first domestically-manufactured destroyer, Jamaran, in the waters of the Persian Gulf in February 2010.
The 1,420-ton destroyer is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities. It has a top speed of up to 30 knots and has a helipad. It also features highly advanced anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-subsurface systems. The vessel has also been equipped with torpedoes and naval cannons.
In line with international anti-piracy efforts, the Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is a strategic energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.
Despite international patrols, Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships in recent years and have received tens of millions of dollars in ransom.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30604041
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