Alwaght- Islamic Republic of Iran Navy plans to hold large-scale maneuvers in the Indian Ocean.
Iranian Navy’s deputy commander Rear Admiral Touraj Hassani-Moqaddam told IRNA on Thursday that the drills will also involve The Iranian Air Force.
The exercises are to be held in an area extending from the Makran Coast in southeastern Iran to “the Indian Ocean ... towards the end of [the Iranian calendar month of] Bahman (which ends on February 19),” he added.
“The Navy’s state-of-the-art armaments and equipment will be deployed during the large-scale exercises,” including naval vessels, submersibles, surface-to-sea missiles, drones, and electronic warfare equipment, said the official.
Noting that the drills are also to be joined by marine brigades and naval commando units, the military commander added, “In these exercises, we will display the Islamic Republic’s power in the region with the aim of establishing security.”
Hassani-Moqaddam further said, “In order to contribute to international maritime security and reinforce the country’s diplomacy, Iranian naval vessels stay invariably alert and in addition to carrying out surveillance missions, are ready to engage [in any possible confrontation] if necessary,” he added.
Prior to the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Iranian Navy only sailed in the Persian Gulf waters, but now it maintains a “powerful presence” in the high seas, said the official.
The Navy carries out recurrent military maneuvers and maritime security missions in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Aden, and the Suez Canal, the commander noted.
The Iranian Navy sailed in the Atlantic Ocean in November 2016 for the first time, with then Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari saying that the development followed a port call in South Africa by the Iranian fleet.
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.
In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, safeguarding merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.
Iran’s Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.
