TEHRAN- The commander of the Iranian navy, has praised the recent successful operation to rescue the Sahand frigate, which capsized in Bandar Abbas during maintenance work.

Speaking to graduates from the Supreme National Defense University and Iran’s Army’s University of Command and Staff on Thursday, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani described the operation to recover the Sahand frigate last month as a significant accomplishment that yielded important scientific knowledge for the navy in fields such as logistics, engineering, and technology.

The commander noted that foreign firms had predicted a minimum of two months would be required to salvage the Sahand, with no assurances regarding the vessel's safety. 

“In contrast, the Iranian navy completed the operation in just ten days, ensuring the ship sustained no damage and that there were no incidents,” Irani stated.

"We have surpassed certain limits within the navy and are diligently working on enhancing and modernizing our equipment and facilities," he remarked, emphasizing that these improvements are vital for bolstering Iran's naval capabilities.

The Sahand lost stability on July 7 while undergoing repairs due to water entering its tanks, causing the ship to roll over, with only a portion of the hull and sonar dome visible above the water.

Sahand is the third frigate in the surfing class developed and constructed by the naval forces of Iran. This frigate was officially revealed in September 2012 and launched in December 2018. 

It is named in honor of the "Sahand-class Alvand" frigate, which participated in intense combat with the United States Navy fleet in the Persian Gulf in 1988 and ultimately sank during one of its missions.