TEHRAN -- Iran on Sunday welcomed back a Navy flotilla comprising Moudge-class frigate Dena and Makran forward base ship after a round-the-world cruise.
At a ceremony held in the southern coastal city of Bandar Abbas, the crew members of the Iranian Navy’s 86th flotilla were received by top Iranian army officials, including chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces Major General Muhammad Bagheri.
The two-ship surface group, according to Iranian media, broke the record for the distance covered by an Iranian flotilla in international waters and came amid tensions with the U.S.
Speaking at Sunday’s ceremony, Gen. Bagheri hailed the flotilla’s voyage as an “outstanding achievement” and said it exemplified Iran’s maritime prowess.
He said the voyage came amid unprecedented sanctions on Iran by Washington.
In February, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement that two Iranian vessels, the IRIS MAKRAN and the frigate IRIS DENA, had been identified “as property in which the government of Iran has an interest.”
“The forward base ship IRIS MAKRAN (MAKRAN), an oil tanker that was repurposed for naval operations and maintains UAV launch capabilities, is currently conducting an international voyage. The naval frigate IRIS DENA (DENA) is accompanying the MAKRAN on this voyage,” it said at the time.
The two-ship flotilla embarked on the round-the-world journey on September 20 last year from Bandar Abbas and sailed across the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.
In late January, the Iranian Navy flotilla was reported to have arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Our forces sailed through a dangerous route. Through faith, devotion and patriotism, our forces pulled off such an achievement,” Gen. Bagheri said, stressing that dignity can only be preserved through the path of power.
Navy commander Real Admiral Shahram Irani said the naval forces onboard Dena and Makran showed up on the high seas to declare that the Islamic Republic is impervious to isolation and sanctions, and it continues to tread the path of sustainable development through the promotion of interactions with world nations.
Irani also said that Iranian marines pulled off a scientific, political and cultural achievement.
He said the mission confirmed that the U.S.-led liberal world order has been replaced by a multi-polar world order, with new alliances being formed and emerging powers beginning to display their might.
“Iran, with the discourse of resistance and mottos of peace and friendship, is passing through this transition period and properly placing itself in the new order.