TEHRAN – Iran’s Navy Commander, Habibollah Sayyari, said in comments on Sunday that the security in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb is the “number one” priority for the force.

“Today, the most important mission of the navy is to protect security in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and Bab el-Mandeb Strait,” he told a group of senior navy staff.

The navy has so far escorted upwards 3,850 Iranian commercial ships and tankers as well as 25 foreign ships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb, the commander added.

Of great commercial value, Bab el-Mandeb is the "choke-point” like the Strait of Hormuz at the tip of the Persian Gulf.

At its narrowest, the Bab el Mandeb strait is just 12 miles wide, with Yemen on one side and Djibouti on the other. 

In recent years, Iran’s Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008.

In July 2016, it fought off two consecutive pirate attacks on an Iranian merchant vessel in Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

AK/PA