Iran’s Navy Keeping Watchful Eye on Foreigners’ Moves in Regional Waters: Commander
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the country’s naval forces are closely watching all moves by foreign military units anywhere in regional waters.
“Foreigners’ moves are under close watch (by Iran’s Navy) and we know where each of their fleet is and what it is doing. We will not allow (them) to come near our borders and, if this happens, we will confront them as (we did) in the past,” Sayyari told IRIB on Wednesday.
Experience has shown that wherever foreign military units are present, there will be insecurity, he noted, adding that Iran’s Army Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy both have the ability to maintain security in regional waters.
Elsewhere in his comments, Sayyari said Iran’s Navy will dispatch its fleet to South Africa in the near future and later to the Atlantic Ocean.
In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in high seas to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates.
In line with international efforts to combat piracy, 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.