MNA � A deputy official at Iran's Navy, Rear Admiral Hossein Ghahramani, said Fri. that 53 Iranian naval squadrons comprising warships and destroyers have constant presence in the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab.







Deputy Coordinator of Iranian Army Navy�s Engineering and Passive Defense Department Rear Admiral Hossein Ghahramani made the remarks during Friday prayers in the western city of Hamedan.

Ghahramani said Iranian naval forces are constantly defending Iran�s interests in the international waters�and protecting the�country�s maritime borders, adding �one of the missions of naval forces is escorting Iran�s vessels and oil tankers�to protect them against piracy.�

He added that the naval forces are protecting Iranian ships carrying exported and imported goods.

He pointed out that the Iranian Navy contribute to the security of other countries� ships as well.

The naval official referred to sacrifices that Iranian Navy made during eight years of Iraqi war against Iran, saying the forces successfully provided security to ships carrying foodstuff to the Iranian people.

Ghahramani added that the Iranian naval forces successfully prevented military equipment from reaching Iraqi forces and disrupted Iraq's oil exports.

He said that after the Revolution, the Navy could successfully achieve military self-sufficiency despite sanctions and�began to manufacture banned military equipment and destroyers.

�Now, the parts needed for heavy and semi-heavy vessels, destroyers, supply ships and heavy submarines are built inside the country,� the Iranian naval official said.

His remarks came as�two�Ghadir-class submarines�capable of launching subsurface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes and mines joined Iran's naval fleet on Thursday.

According to�Commander of Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi,�a new generation of Moudge-class destroyer (Sahand)�and third generation of Jamaran destroyer will join the naval fleet in the Persian Gulf on Saturday.