The naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have thwarted an attempt by pirates to seize a Hong Konger commercial ship in the Red Sea, Press TV reported.
The VRYK3 with 32 crewmembers, which was headed from Italy to Australia, was attacked by pirates on Saturday.
In response to the distress call, Iran's 12th fleet came to the vessel's rescue. The pirates fled the scene following the clash with the Iranian forces and the ship continued on its way.
In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard maritime trade and in particular ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.
Over the past years and despite patrols by the European Union, NATO and several other countries, Somali pirates have hijacking dozens of ships, making tens of millions of dollars in ransom.
The tenth Iranian fleet along with two destroyers has been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden.
Iran's ninth fleet along with two destroyers was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden three months ago with the objective of protecting Iranian commercial vessels against Somali pirates.
Iran also plans to dispatch another fleet to the Red and Mediterranean Seas in the near future in order to expand its presence in international waters.