The 100th fleet from the Iranian Navy was docked at Mumbai port on India’s west coast as Iran expands its naval activity in international waters.
The fleet consisting of Buscher refill ships and Lavan lander arrived Thursday and was greeted by officials of Iranian Consul General in Mumbai and Indian Navy Commander.
The training mission is to promote peace and friendship in countries along the Indian Ocean, the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, and to provide education and expertise to cadets at Imam Khomeini Naval College in northern Iran. During Mumbai, Iranian naval officials will hold high-level meetings with Indian counterparts, visit educational, cultural and historic sites and take part in friendly sporting events.
Vice-General Vidyadar Hake, the highest officer (operation) of India’s Western Navy Command, praised the docking of Iranian ships as a step towards strengthening relations between the two countries. He acknowledged Iran’s strength in the fight against Gulf of Aden’s copyright infringement and ships of sale. He expressed his hope that the presence of Iranian cadets would promote bilateral cooperation in education and joint exercises.
Captain Mohamad Sabeli, commander of the Iranian fleet, reflected these sentiments and hoped to expand the interaction between India and Iranian navy through joint movements, exchanges of cadets and port visits.
In recent years, the Iranian navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect shipping routes and ensure the safety of merchant ships and tankers. Since November 2008, they have patrol the Gulf of Aden, protecting merchant ships and tankers owned or leased by Iran and other countries. The Iranian Navy successfully thwarted several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its international mission.