Navy Commander Rejects Reports on Warning to Iranian Vessels
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on Thursday dismissed earlier reports on alleged warnings issued to Iranian naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, saying that the country's warships are currently conducting patrolling mission in the region.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony held in Supreme National Defense University here in Tehran on Thursday, Sayyari rejected the media reports that Iranian naval forces have left Yemen waters after receiving warnings.
“We are in the Gulf of Aden now, and the 34th fleet of (Iran’s) navy … was patrolling at the entrance of Bab-el-Mandeb Strait this morning,” the Iranian commander underscored.
Sayyari at the same time reiterated that Iranian navy would never enter the territorial waters of any country.
Iran’s navy would just patrol the routes specified by international laws to provide security for the Iranian shipping lines, cargo ships, and oil tankers, he stressed.
In similar remarks on Tuesday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi rejected reports about the presence of Iranian military vessels in Yemen’s waters, saying they only patrol the international waters in the Gulf of Aden.
“Iranian naval fleet has not entered the Yemeni waters so far, but it’s on patrol in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman on a planned military schedule,” Firouzabadi said.
