Iranian navy foils attempted Hijack of russian ship

An attempt by the Somali pirates to hijack a Russian vessel was thwarted after an Iranian fleet of warships present in the region rushed to the scene.Addressing a conference in Iran's Southern port city of Bushehr, Director-General of the Port and Maritime Organization of Bushehr province Mohammad Rastad announced that the Iranian Navy fleet deployed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy missions has not only provided a safe passage for Iranian cargo ships, but also protected vessels of other countries.In the same line, a Russian vessel called for Iranian help after it came under attack, and the Iranian fleet rushed to its aid with no delay and could repel pirates' threat in time, he added.Rastad said that the Russian vessel didn't accept protection by any other naval force present in the region and merely demanded protection of the Iranian Navy.He further stressed that Iran's strong naval presence has led to a remarkable decline in the number of pirate attacks on Iranian vessels.On Tuesday, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari lauded his forces for their success in confronting Somali pirates and providing safe passage for Iranian and foreign cargo ships and oil tankers.Speaking to FNA, he reiterated that since the Navy's deployment in the high seas, the Iranian fleets of warships have repelled all pirate attacks on Iranian cargo ships and oil tankers.The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates. The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.