TEHRAN - Iran’s 86th flotilla of warships is now sailing along the western shores of Latin America, the Navy second-in-command said on Saturday.

Rear Admiral Hamzeh Ali Kaviani said the flotilla is going to berth at Brazil’s southeastern port city of Rio de Janeiro within the next few days, Press TV reported.

Addressing a ceremony in the northern city of Chalous, Kaviani stressed that Iran’s military might is increasing day by day despite all the pressures against the Islamic Republic over the past 43 years.

He added that most of the military hardware required by the country’s Armed Forces is now manufactured at home.

The admiral stated that the Navy’s 86th flotilla, comprised of Dena and Makran warships, has raised the Iranian flag in the western waters of Latin America.

Navy’s flotillas also have a strong presence in the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, he said.

Dena is a Mowj-class warship that joined the Iranian Navy in June 2021. The military vessel is reportedly equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes and naval cannons.

Makran is a forward base ship weighing 121,000 tons. The warship can carry five helicopters and is employed for providing logistical support for the combat warships.

The 86th flotilla is expected to break the record for the distance an Iranian flotilla has sailed in international waters. It set sail from the south of Iran in early autumn with the purpose of circumnavigating the world. Its trip to Brazil appears to be part of a mission to the Panama Canal.

Last year, the 75th flotilla, including Sahand and Makran warships, set a new record of navigation for 250,000 kilometers after a trip to Saint Petersburg in Russia.

On January 11, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said plans are underway to dispatch naval forces to the Panama Canal as Iranian servicemen are approaching the coasts of the Americas.

This comes as the Iranian Navy has set up three ocean commands supervising naval missions to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.