“Our naval fleets have already sailed the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the China Sea, and the South Indian and Pacific Oceans,” Sayyari said on the sidelines of a ceremony in southwestern Iranian port city of Khorramshahr on Thursday.
“We definitely have the Atlantic Ocean in our agenda for the future,” he went on to say, stressing that Iran’s presence in international waters and raising the country’s flag in other countries of the world is a national honor and shows the nation’s might.
He also noted that in the new Iranian calendar year (due to start on Sunday), the country’s navy will boost its efforts by manufacturing new equipment, enhancing the defense capabilities, increasing the intelligence power, and improving its presence in high seas.
In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in the international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and oil tankers.
Since November 2008, the Iranian Navy has conducted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb strait to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against pirates.