Iranian Navy Starts Drills to Send Message to 'Enemies'

The Iranian Navy has launched six-day naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz rehearsing border protection and piracy control operations.

The drills entitled Velayat 91 will be carried out in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, north of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Iranian Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, as quoted by the Irna news agency.

The aim of the drill is to "convey a message of peace and friendship to neighboring states," Sayyari said.

He further stated that Velayat 91 also sends a message to Iran's enemies that the country takes defending its vital interests very seriously.

During the drills, Iran's 23rd Fleet, comprised of the Bushehr warship and the Jamaran destroyer, will escort Iran's merchant vessels and oil tankers as part of the navy's anti-piracy mission.