By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

Kudos to the Iranian navy in thwarting what seems to be a well-planned act of piracy against an Iranian oil tanker passing through the Gulf Aden.
The unidentified pirates have for the moment fled the scene and vanished to their hideouts on some remote islands, or perhaps the coast of the several countries located in the Horn of Africa and lack the required forces, resources, or ability to root out these dangerous elements from the area.
The five speedboats operated by the pirates were forced to flee following heavy exchange of fire with the Iranian Navy’s 78th flotilla of warships.
Timely action indeed and excellent work by our naval forces, whose presence in the vital sea lanes ensures safety for not only Iranian ships plying the route but also for the merchant vessels of other countries.
The Islamic Republic ought to increase its naval forces in the area extending from the Gulf of Aden to the entire length of the Red Sea, in view of the fact that this waterway is being destabilized by the American and Israeli forces.
There is a possibility that the US and the illegal Zionist entity are backing the pirates and supplying them with the latest weapons as well high speed boats, in addition to information on the movement of the merchant vessels.
This could be ascertained if our naval forces capture some of the pirates and their equipment, or give them chase to their hideouts, without the risk of entering into an ambush.
Iran can coordinate its anti-piracy operations in this area with friendly world countries for ending once and for all the threats posed to merchant shipping by the pirates.
It is rather unfortunate that the UAE which has seized the strategic Yemeni island of Socotra and provided intelligence bases to Israel on the usurped land, besides regularly hosting hundreds of Zionist visitors, many of whom are Mossad agents, is indirectly promoting piracy.
This should be stopped, or made to stop, in the interests of regional peace and security, if not the menace will spiral out of control and boomerang on the UAE itself.
Alas, outside forces have embroiled Yemen into a civil war in the interests of their American and Israeli masters.
Only a united and strong Yemen can play a vital role in not only safeguarding its security and sovereignty over its islands, but also in protecting the sea lanes from pirates by coordinating with friendly countries, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran.