Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 25
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: The Iranian Army thwarted a pirate attack on an Iranian oil tanker in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
Iran's naval fleet saved the oil tanker earlier this morning, after it barely avoided attack by four pirate boats, with 32 pirates onboard, Iran's ISNA news agency reported March 25.
The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strait located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
On March 21, Iran's Navy repelled several pirate attacks against an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
A group of pirates on two speedboats approached an Iranian oil tanker in the region and opened fire on it, forcing the tanker to stop.
Iran's Navy has been recently increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and ensure security for merchant vessels and tankers.
In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.
The Iranian Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its mission in international waters.
Edited by CN