The Iranian Navy has successfully finished its first patrol mission in the piracy-infested waters off Somali and the Gulf of Aden.

In line with the international efforts against piracy, Tehran deployed two warships in the troubled region in May to confront pirates to safeguard the maritime trade in particular ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Tuesday that the Iranian warships successfully warped up mission on Tuesday after being deployed in the troubled region for 60 days.

According to the commander, during the two-month mission, the stationed warships kept a watchful eye on 366 merchant ships, 36 of which were owned or leased by Iran.

The commander said pirates in the Gulf of Aden had planned to hijack an Iranian oil tanker named Hadi but Iranian warships arrived in the scene on time to rescue it to prevent a $140 million loss.

On Monday, Iran’s Deputy Naval Commander, Gholam-Reza Khadem, said Iran dispatched two other warships to replace aging vessels.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has led to attacks on more than 200 ships over the past 15 months. International concerns over the issue have prompted a fleet of warships to attempt to protect merchant ships in one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Naval ships from the European Union, NATO and other US-led coalitions have been stationed in the region to prevent hijackings and to capture the ominous pirates.

However, despite international efforts and calls for countering piracy in the notorious Somali waters, the bandits continue to seize ships, holding them until hefty ransoms are paid.

The pirates captured an Iranian vessel for what they called illegal fishing in the northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland in March.

In November, Somali pirates also hijacked a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship, Delight, operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) in the Gulf of Aden.

The UN Security Council passed four resolutions on the issue in 2008, the last of which — issued in December — authorizes states to “take all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia” to suppress “acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea” for one year.

AR/DT