Iran Navy Foils Pirate Attacks on Oil Tankers in Gulf of Aden
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian naval forces have saved two of the country’s oil tankers from pirates in the Gulf of Aden over the past 48 hours.
In two separate operations, the Iranian Navy's 34th fleet of warships repelled pirate attacks on two Iranian oil tankers after several hours of confrontation.
The 34th fleet, comprising Bushehr logistic warship and Alborz combat warship is on a mission in the Gulf of Aden to ensure security for the traffic of Iranian shipping lines and protect the Islamic Republic's interests in the high seas.
Back on April 8, when the fleet departed for the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb, a strait between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the mission will last for about three months.
Since November 2008, the Iranian navy has conducted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb strait to protect the country's vessels against pirate attacks.
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 pirates and, after giving notice to Somali government, enter Somali territorial waters in pursuit of the pirates.