Iran naval fleet docks at Pakistan’s Karachi port

The flotilla, comprising of four naval ships and a submarine, arrived at Karachi port on Friday and was warmly welcomed by the Pakistan Navy officers, said First Captain Ali Jahanbakhsh, commander of Iran’s Navy fleet, IRNA reported.

“The mission is aimed at enhancing defensive cooperation and interaction with the regional countries, particularly neighboring Pakistan,” Ali Jahanbakhsh

He also noted that the Iranian fleet and Pakistani warships would conduct joint naval drills at the end of the mission.

According to the senior Iranian commander, the two navies had recently held similar drills in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

By dispatching the fleet, the Iranian Navy pursues its defensive policies and displays its military might in the region and the world, the commander said, adding that one of the objectives of the naval trip is to train young officers and prepare them to counter any possible threat.

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

In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.

Iran’s Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.