TEHRAN -- A Pakistani naval flotilla, comprising three warships, arrived in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf Sunday morning.
The commander of the flotilla, which will stay in Bandar Abbas for four days, was welcomed by the commander of the first naval district of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.
The visit of the Pakistani ships is aimed at strengthening military and diplomatic relations between Tehran and Islamabad, Press TV reported.
It is the second visit by a Pakistan naval fleet to Iran this year.
Captain Ghader Vazifeh, the deputy commander of the first naval district of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, said Iran-Pakistan maritime visits will lead to deep and strategic ties between the two neighboring states, expressing hope for more such interactions.
“These maritime interactions definitely show that the regional countries, especially the friendly, brotherly and Muslim countries, can themselves manage the region,” he added.
“There is no need for the presence of trans-regional units in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.”
The naval forces of Iran and Pakistan have in recent years promoted cooperation and staged several joint drills in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman.
Back in April, Iranian naval forces and a visiting flotilla of warships from the Pakistan Navy staged joint exercises in the Persian Gulf, which extended to the Strait of Hormuz and the northern part of the Indian Ocean.