Commander Says Iran Plans Naval Presence in Atlantic, Pacific Oceans

“In the near future, we will definitely make multiple journeys to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters in the city of Mashhad on Saturday.

He also pointed to the trips the Iranian warships have made to “all countries on the Indian Ocean and in Southeast Asia,” describing it as part of naval diplomacy for the purpose of demonstrating Iran’s capabilities and cultural interaction.

The commander also noted that the Navy is going to hold a war game codenamed Velayat-95 in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean, down to the 10-degrees latitude. The naval exercise will be held in the current Iranian month of Bahman, which ends on February 18.

In comments earlier in January, Sayyari said his forces will practice new and up-to-date tactics in the war game, including modern warfare tactics, for the first time.

He has announced that new weapons and military equipment will be unveiled in the drill, which also includes testing a broad range of missiles.

In June 2016, Rear Admiral Sayyari said the Navy has plans for 20 military drills in the current Iranian year, which ends on March 20.

Iran has repeatedly declared that its military drills pose no threat to other countries and that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.