Naval Fleet to Leave for Gulf of Aden
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- The 35th flotilla of the Iranian navy plans to leave for the Gulf of Aden to safeguard naval routes for vessels operating in the region, navy chief Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.
He said the flotilla would depart for the strategic region on July 11.
Sayyari said the 34th flotilla has a 90-day mission to accomplish in the north of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea.
The 34th flotilla, which comprises the Bushehr logistic vessel and Alborz destroyer, left Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas for the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait on April 8.
Sayyari said fighting pirates and ensuring safety for Iranian vessels sailing in high seas are among objectives of the 35th flotilla.
Iran’s navy has succeeded in passing more than 2,700 oil tankers or merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden and had 200 clashes with pirates, he noted.
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 also conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to safeguard 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.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has returned to the Persian Gulf after several days allegedly shadowing a convoy of Iranian vessels.
The Roosevelt passed through the Strait of Hormuz to the Persian Gulf on Friday, the navy announced Saturday in a brief statement. The Roosevelt was accompanied by the USS Normandy, a guided-missile cruiser.
It came after the US claimed the convoy of nine Iranian vessels, including two small warships, continued to sail slowly toward Iran, reversing its original course toward Aden.
Iranian officials dismissed the claim, saying the flotilla was continuing its mission in the waters.
At its current pace, the U.S. aircraft carrier will take a few days to reach the strait, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly.