Navy Commander Reiterates Iran’s Full Control over Territorial Waters
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian navy fully monitors every movement of trans-regional forces in the regional waters, and that it has been able to provide security for the country's commercial and oil tanker fleet far beyond Iran's maritime borders, the top Navy commander said.
“The entire moves by trans-regional forces in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s waters are completely being controlled,” Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told the Tasnim News Agency on Friday, on the occasion of National Navy Day.
"The issue of sea security is observed 100 percent in the country's territorial waters, contiguous zone and the high seas and all the commercial vessels and oil tankers safely sail in these waters," he added.
He further pointed to the navy’s missions in the high seas, saying Iranian naval forces have managed to provide security in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea after cases of piracy happened in that region, some 2500 kilometers off the country’s maritime borders.
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, countries can deploy warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia to protect their vessels and nationals against the pirates and, after giving notice to Somali government, enter Somali territorial waters in pursuit of pirates.
Rear Admiral Sayyari also added that Iran’s navy has good interaction with naval forces of neighboring states, and noted that the country even plans to stage joint military drills with a number of neighbors, including Oman.
Earlier on November 18, Sayyari stressed that regional security must be established through cooperation among countries within the region and that the presence of trans-regional forces in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman leads to tension and disorder.
Iran has briefed the Arab littoral states of the Persian Gulf on common interests with them, and underlined that regional security must be established through cooperation among the regional countries, the commander said.
“We are certain that we can establish security through collective efforts and the commonalities existing among us,” he commented.
“The Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the northern part of the Indian Ocean along with all their interests and resources only belong to the regional countries,” he stressed.
“The presence of an alien force in the region leads to disarray, and can be regarded as a threat to all regional countries,” Sayyari said.