Iran’s Navy Foils Pirate Attack on Oil Tanker in Gulf of Aden
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The Navy's 31st fleet of warships rescued an Iranian oil tanker form a pirate attack near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Gulf of Aden.
The servicemen aboard the 31st fleet carried out the anti-piracy operation in an overseas mission in waters between Yemen and Djibouti.
The pirates who were sailing 12 vessels tried to attack the Iranian tanker at different intervals which took some 8 hours, but they were forced to flee the scene after the timely presence of Iranian forces.
It was the fourth confrontation between the 31st fleet and pirates in the international waters in a week. In three other cases, Iranian ships have been rescued by the fleet.
In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in the international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and oil tankers.
The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.
