Iran's navy foils pirate attacks in Gulf of Aden

Iran’s navy repelled pirate attacks against an Iranian commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on June 18.

A group of pirates on five speedboats approached an Iranian merchant ship in the region early in morning, meanwhile had to flee after Iranian naval forces took swift action to thwart the assault, Iran’s official IRIB news agency reported.

The pirates approached the ship on 11 speedboats once again after three hours, but forced to escape after the reaction of the Islamic Republic’s naval forces.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for thousands of vessels traveling annually among Asia, Europe and the America.

Iranian naval forces foiled several pirate attacks against Iranian ships in the region during the past weeks.

Iran's Navy has been recently increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and ensure security for merchant vessels and tankers.

In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

/By Trend/