DM Says Iran's Naval Clout Far-Reaching
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the country's naval maneuverability is not confined to the region, but reaches areas as far as the Red Sea or the Chinese borders.
"Today, the sphere of our (naval) operation is not limited to our own region, and we have gone as far as the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and borders of India and China," Dehqan said.
He made the comments in a conference on speed boats, held in Tehran on Tuesday.
Speed vessels are of great significance when it comes to the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the minister noted, urging greater efforts to acquire more advanced communication systems and weapons, as well as higher speeds, in the speed boats industry.
"We are now capable of countering threats in the sea," he further said, referring to Iran's high deterrent power.
Earlier in the conference, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said his forces are testing military speed boats with the breakneck velocity of 110 knots (203 km/h).
Besides the speed boats, known as the IRGC Navy's trump card, the naval forces rely on long-range coast-to-sea missiles that can reach anywhere in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, Fadavi told reporters on Tuesday.