Iranian Navy to send 62nd Fleet in the Gulf of Aden to int'l waters.

The Iranian Navy plans to dispatch the 62nd flotilla of warships to free waters in the next few days to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against pirate attacks. The 62nd fleet includes Bayandor destroyer and Lavan and Bushehr logistic warships.

Iranian Navy to dispatch the 62nd Fleet to counter piracy (Picture Source: farsnews)

The 61st flotilla of the Iranian Navy had set off for the high seas to safeguard maritime routes used by Iranian vessels in international waters, especially in the Gulf of Aden, in March.

The fleet which consisted of Sabalan destroyer and a logistic warship, Bandar Abbas, returned to Iran on Wednesday morning after 67 days of the voyage.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.

The Gulf of Aden – which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea – is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.

This deployment may also help Iran with the protection of its coasts and reassure its national security. This comes as the US government reinforces its presence in the area, with the deployment of a carrier strike group, along with plenty of bombers.