Iran to Deploy Warships in Mediterranean, Red Sea

Local Editor

Iran plans to send its 24th fleet, comprised of a submarine and a warship, to the Mediterranean sea, the Red Sea, and the Suez CanaI.

According to Press TV, the Iranian naval commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari revealed Thursday that "the Navy's 24th fleet of warships will patrol the Red Sea, Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea for three months."

Sayyari stated that the purpose of the Iranian deployment is to patrol in the high seas and display the great capabilities of the Islamic Republic, commenting that the ships will "counter any threat against the interests of the Islamic Republic."
The Iranian naval commander said that Iran's presence in the Red Sea would tighten security for all countries.

"We announce that we are able to provide security in the region with the help of all neighboring countries," he said.
Ships are to also patrol "the north of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb...and even as far as southeastern Asian countries," Press TV reported.

Iran started dispatching warships to the high seas after its cargo vessels and tankers came under attack and were hijacked by Somali pirates. 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.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org