Azernews.Az

The 32nd naval fleet of Iran has repelled pirate attack against an Iranian oil tank on Dec. 29, the Islamic Republic’s Fars news agency reported.

The attack was carried out by eight pirate boats in Bab-el-Mandeb strait which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

It should be noted that at the time of the attack, Iran was carrying out a massive military drill in the area. The large-scale drill dubbed ‘Mohammad Rasulullah’ started Dec. 25 and covers an area of 2.2 million square kilometers from the country’s south east territory, east of the Strait of Hormuz to the southern parts of the Gulf of Aden.

The Islamic Republic’s 32nd fleet including the Jamaran destroyer and Bushehr helicopter-carrier warship participated in the army’s ongoing drill.

The Iranian Navy's 32nd flotilla of warships was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden early in November to protect the country's commercial ships and oil tanks against pirates.

The naval group has been given orders to protect the shipping lanes where the Iranian ships would travel and also to assist the foreign ships requiring emergency assistance in the Gulf of Aden.

In recent years, Iran's Navy has been increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.