The top Iranian commander said on Friday that he will soon make a trip to Italy for a naval conference, pointing to close cooperation between Tehran and Rome in various naval spheres, such as training courses, the exchange of cadets and instructors, and industrial expertise.
The Italians are eager to learn from Iran’s experience in devising the strategies to ensure security in large maritime zones, as in the Gulf of Aden and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean, he added.
In September 2016, a high-ranking military delegation from the Italian Army visited Iran, held meetings with Rear Admiral Sayyari, and came up with a plan for the dispatch of the European country’s warships to Iran as part of naval cooperation.
A few weeks later, Iranian and Italian naval fleets staged a joint military drill in the international waters off the coasts of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
Two destroyers from Iran’s Navy and an Italian frigate dubbed “Euro” took part in the exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.