TEHRAN - Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on Monday called for promotion of combat capabilities of the Iranian Navy, stressing the need for the naval force to continue presence in international waters and high seas.

In a meeting with the Army chief a number of high-ranking Navy commanders, the Leader added, “The huge capacities of the sea must turn into [a component of] the country’s public culture.”
Highlighting the long history of Iranians’ presence at sea, which helped transfer the Islamic and Iranian culture and civilization to other parts of the world, he said, “Despite this long history and [having] long coasts in the north and especially in the south of Iran, the culture of taking advantage of maritime opportunities has been ignored in the country and must turn into a part of the people’s public culture,” Press TV reported.