Iranian fleet arrives in Indian Ocean

Inidan Ocean, Nov 8, IRNA – The 32nd fleet of Iran's Navy arrived in waters of the Indian Ocean on Saturday enroute the Gulf of Aden. The fleet of warships, which includes the Jamaran destroyer and Bushehr logistic vessel, left Bandar Abbas in Hormuzgan Province on November 4. The flotilla is on a mission to safeguard Iran's interests in open seas by providing security for every commercial vessels or oil tankers sailing under the Iranian flag. It will also react to any possible pirates attacks against Iranian ships. The fleet will also help any foreign ship asking for emergency aid in the Gulf of Aden. The Iranian ships sailed 1,315 km from Hormuz Strait, Sea of Oman and Masirah Island off the east coast of Oman before reaching the Indian Ocean. The fleet's destination, the Gulf of Aden, is located in the Arabian Sea. The waterway is part of the important Suez canal shipping route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean with 21,000 ships crossing the gulf annually. In recent years, Iran’s Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers. Iran’s Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters./end