Iran rescues Russian ship from pirates ambush in Gulf of Eden

Iranian Navy rescued a Russian ship from the clutches of the pirates in Gulf of Aden, said Navy commander on WednesdayAddressing a ceremony commemorating Seafaring Day in Bushehr, Rear-Admiral Mohammad Reza Abbasyan said that the Russian ship asked help from the Iranian warship despite the fact that the US warship nearby declared to assist it. The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is a key energy corridor, especially because the Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the canal. He further noted that since the presence of the Iranian Navy in Oman Sea some 73 attacks launched to the commercial ships, the latest of which happened last week, when 26 boats attacked a commercial ship but the Iranian Navy forces arrived at the scene and thwarted the attack. So far, 1,300 vessels have been escorted by the Navy forces dispatched to the region, he said. Addressing the same event, director general of Bushehr Ports and Shipping Department, Mohammad Rastad said that since piracy has been turned into a challenge to marine activities, all the countries should play role to counter the evil phenomenon. Iran has so far dispatched many fleets to the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy and spread Iran’s message of peace to neighbors and other countries in the Gulf of Aden.