Iranian Naval Fleet in Rescue Mission
In a bid to protect cargo ships and oil tankers in international waters, the Iranian Navy’s 33rd fleet of warships departed for the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea on Sunday, says Tasnim News Agency.
The naval fleet consists of Vice-Admiral Qandi destroyer, Bandar Abbas logistic-combat warship and Tareq submarine. The 33rd fleet is scheduled to sail across northern parts of the Indian Ocean, southern waters of India and Sri Lanka, the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the 33rd fleet is expected to provide security for both Iranian and foreign vessels in the shipping lines of the high seas, and added that navy cadets will also receive necessary training on the voyage. The newly deployed fleet left Iran immediately after the 32nd flotilla -comprised of Jamaran destroyer and Bushehr logistic vessel- returned home after an 80-day mission overseas.
Last week, Iran’s 32nd naval fleet has once again repelled a pirate attack against on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden.
A group of pirates on speedboats approached an Iranian tanker near the Yemen’s Al-Mukalla port, but forced to escape under the heavy fire of the 32nd naval fleet before launching the attack, public relations department of Iran’s Navy said.