Navy Cmdr: Iranian Fleets In Int'l Waters To Be Fortified

Bushehr, May 17, IRNA – The Commander of Iran's Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said here Friday that the country is to fortify fleets in international waters to enable them perform their missions more efficiently and effectively. ˈKeeping in mind that presence in international waters is among the important missions of the Iranian Navy, we need to work hard to renovate, overhaul and keep abreast the IRI Navyˈs overseas fleets,ˈ said the Navy commander, addressing a group of Navy staffs in Kharg Island of Iranˈs Bushehr province. ˈThe mighty presence of the IRI Navy in international waters is a pride for the Iranian nation and pleasing for the Supreme Leader of the revolution,ˈ he reiterated. Rear Admiral Sayyari referred to the dispatching of various IRI Navy fleets and the effective logistical support of Kharg Island Naval Base last year in Babb al-Mandeb and other destination, which were pride inspiring and pleasing for the Supreme Leader of the revolution. He appreciated the retired Navy personnel and their family members, saying that appreciating the great people who have created pride in defense of the countryˈs waters and in the seas is a dire necessity. ˈThese beloved officers are all the same indebted for half of their success in their missions to the patience and support of their family members who have suffered hardships and cooperated with them to perform their tough tasks,ˈ he said. Training the children of the IRI Navy officersˈ children is up to the wives of those officers, while in case of the other armed forces it is not so, he said. He reminded the audience that during the course of the Iraqi imposed war the Kharg Island observed red alert situation for 280 days and was under the enemyˈs bombardments for more than 2,800 days, adding, ˈYet, the Kharg Naval Base resisted and the enemy could not block the path of the Iranian oilˈs exports even for a single day.ˈ The Navy’s 30th Fleet is comprised of the Alvand destroyer and the Bushehr logistic warship. The fleet has recently been sent to the open seas to provide security for Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers. During its missions in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Babb-el-Mandeb, the fleet protects Iranian commercial ships and tankers against pirate attacks, according to Navy officials. Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have expanded the reach of their hijacking attacks on merchant vessels and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea in recent years, making tens of millions of dollars in ransom, despite the fact that dozens of foreign naval vessels are patrolling the area. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari also announced on Sunday that a number of Iranian warships and submarines, which had been sent to Oman last week, docked in Pakistan on Friday. He did not give further details about the mission of the naval vessels in Pakistan./end