‘Iran to unveil home-made submarine’

Commander of the Iranian Navy says Iran will unveil the domestically designed and built Fateh (Conqueror) submarine in the next few months.

Fateh will be unveiled on November 28 to display Iran’s might to build submarines, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters on Saturday.

In recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.

Iran has so far launched different classes of advanced home-made submarines, including Fateh, Ghadir, Qaem, Nahang, Tareq and Sina.

Sayyari further said the Iranian Navy’s 31st fleet of war vessels currently in the Red Sea is on a mission to ensure the security of commercial vessels and oil tankers in international waters.

The mission spans vast areas including the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, the commander noted, adding the flotilla would set sail for other parts of the high seas if tasked with another mission.

On August 24, the Iranian Navy’s 31st fleet of war vessels docked at the Port of Djibouti as the Islamic Republic pursues to expand its naval presence in international waters.

The flotilla, consisting of Bayandor destroyer and Bandar Abbas auxiliary ship, arrived at the port after travelling more than 2,200 nautical miles.

In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been also 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.

SF/NN/HRB