Attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates
The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have saved the Iranian oil-tanker, Damavand, from a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. Damavand was attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, Fars News Agency reported.
In their 11th confrontation with pirates this year, Iran’s Navy forces thwarted the attack through their speedy action and effective use of firepower.
As a result of the conflict, all pirates fled and the Iranian tanker Damavand resumed its journey in complete safety.
Iran has recently stepped up efforts to combat piracy in the unstable areas of the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, and secure its commercial vessels through their journeys throughout regional waters.
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 through the Suez Canal.
Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has also voiced Iran’s readiness to protect foreign ships likely to fall victim to pirate attacks in piracy-stricken international waters.
Iran’s Navy fleets have escorted almost 1,000 Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden over the past two years, Sayyari said.
Source: Press TV