Iran sends six warships to international waters: report

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has sent six warships into international waters including the Gulf of Aden, a local
newspaper reported on Tuesday, just days after it test-fired a new missile that can reach some parts of Europe.
We have dispatched six warships to international waters and the Gulf of Aden, naval commander Habibollah
Sayari was quoted as saying in the Jomhuri Eslami.
This mission shows our increased capability in dealing with any foreign threat, he said.
The newspaper said the warships were dispatched to confront potential attacks on Irans commercial vessels
and oil tankers by pirates off the Somali coast.
Iran, the worlds fourth largest oil producer, relies on tankers to deliver crude to customers through the Gulf and
the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which about 40pc of the worlds oil supplies are shipped.
In the past, Iran has warned that it could block the Strait if attacked over its controversial nuclear drive. Iranian
officials said on May 14 that the Islamic republic had dispatched two warships to the Gulf of Aden but it was
unclear whether they were among the six announced by Sayari. His announcement comes on the heels of Iran
test-firing a new surface-to-surface missile called Sejil-2 with a range of up to 2,000km.