TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Navy’s 31th Flotilla rescued an oil tanker from a pirate attack in Bab el-Mendeb and the Gulf of Aden after a tough battle with Somali pirates in the high seas.
An Iranian oil tanker came under attack by 12 pirate boats in the Bab el-Mendeb on Thursday, but the vessel was rescued due to the timely action of the Iranian Navy warships, the Navy’s Public Relations Office reported on Thursday.
Four Iranian vessels have been attacked in the high seas over the past week, but the timely action of the Iranian warships prevented them from accomplishing their devilish objectives.
In late July, the Iranian Navy dispatched its 31st flotilla to the Gulf of Aden and the high seas to protect the country’s cargo ships and oil tankers against pirates.
On August 24, the 31st Fleet of the Iranian Navy, comprised of Bayandor destroyer and Bandar Abbas logistic warship, docked at Djibouti port with the message of peace and friendship after sailing 2,200 nautical miles in free waters.
The fleet of warships had escorted 670 military and cargo ships and identified and traced trans-regional vessels and aircraft by then.
Iran’s 30th flotilla of warships ended its mission in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and returned home in July.
The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.
According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.
The Gulf of Aden – which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea – is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.
Via: http://english.farsnews.com
