TEHRAN, May 27 (UPI) -- Iran dispatched six warships and other vessels into international waters in the Gulf of Aden in the latest series of military developments.
Iranian Naval Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari announced the move as an "unprecedented" development for the Iranian navy.
Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden hijacked an Iranian-chartered vessel in November, holding it for months.
Iran on May 15 dispatched two of its warships to the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian cargo shipments traveling through the troubled waterway.
Sayyari noted the naval deployment was an example of the growing defense capabilities of Iran, the Fars News Agency reports.
"This important move indicates the country's high military capability in confronting any kind of foreign threat along the coasts of the country," he said.
The Iranian media report notes the deployment was in line with U.N. resolutions, adding Iran's navy would come to the assistance of any foreign ship under threat from Somali pirates.
The move comes as Iran flaunts is military capabilities. Last week Iran fired a test launch of its latest surface-to-surface solid-fuel rocket with a range capable of reaching Israel, while production began on an anti-cruise system with a firing rate of 300 rounds per minute.
