Commander Highlights Iranian Navy’s Growing Capabilities

“At the time being, we have become much more capable compared with the past years, at various levels such as maintenance, equipping coastal, airborne, marine, submarine and trans-regional units, and even in the field of hygiene and treatment,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Tuesday, in a cultural gathering in southern city of Bandar Abbas.

He also noted that the high-ranking Navy commanders have acquired scientific knowledge of managing the naval forces in recent years.

In relevant remarks on October 12, Rear Admiral Sayyari reasserted his forces’ ability to defend and safeguard the country’s territorial waters, saying any potential threat will face a crushing response.

“We will respond to any country that violates Iran’s territorial waters,” Sayyari said in a gathering of navy personnel in northern Iran.

Referring to the significant role of Iranian naval forces in ensuring security of the country’s trade cargoes in all shipping routes, the commander said at the time that “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy has the honor to provide security for Iran’s fleet of commercial vessels in international waters.”

He further pointed to the navy’s successful missions to thwart a series of pirate attacks against Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Aden, adding that pirates faced a strong response from the naval forces when they were trying to seize one of the country’s biggest oil tankers some days ago.

Since November 2008, the Iranian navy has conducted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mendeb strait to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against pirates.

Under the terms of several UN Security Council resolutions, nations can deploy warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia to protect their vessels against the pirates and, after giving notice to Somali government, enter Somali territorial in pursuit of the pirates.