TEHRAN – Navy Commander Habibollah Sayyari has said that Iran’s Navy is ready to save foreign ships from pirates’ attacks in international waters if they ask for help.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy with its increased presence in international waters has provided protection for Iranian oil tankers and commercial ships, and will also help any foreign ship, ambushed by the pirates, which calls for help,” Rear Admiral Sayyari told IRNA in an interview published on Friday.
He also said that all Iranian and foreign ships which have so far been escorted by the Iranian naval ships have safely passed through the regional waters.
Iranian naval ships have escorted almost 1,000 Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden and have had 30 major clashes with the pirates over the past two years, he said.
He went on to say that Iran is one of the countries that is independently carrying out anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and was among the first countries which sent naval units to the region to fight piracy.