Pirates Hiding Due to Scary Presence of Iranian Navy

 (FNA)- Pirate attack on cargo ships has now become a rare scene in the region due to the powerful deployment of the Iranian warships, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

"Pirates have left an impact on nations' economies and the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy has played a continued active role in the establishment of security and if today we see that there is no news about the ominous phenomenon of piracy, it is indebted to the firm and powerful presence of the (Iranian) Navy," Sayyari said in Tehran on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, he underlined that Makaran coasts on the rims of the Persian Gulf are of paramount importance to Iran as far as using international waters and marine wealth are concerned, and said, "Aside from the importance of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, using the Makaran coasts we can sail to the South Pole given the coasts' adjacency to the free oceans and seas."

Sayyari said that the Makaran coasts meet Iran's strategic and macro-scale interests in the different food, sea trade, energy, tourism, defense and cultural sectors as well as in the establishment of infrastructures, ports, roads, airports, plants and prevention of selling raw materials.

Iran has recently decided to expand its presence in the South Pole with the aim of conducting more research projects.

In relevant remarks in August 2013, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Biqam announced that Iran has taken up action to set up a permanent base in Antarctica.

"Deployment in antarctic waters is on Islamic Republic of Iran’s agenda, and in the first phase this presence may take place within the framework of cooperation with the countries which have been there, and in the next stage in an independent manner,” Rear Admiral Khadem Biqam said in an exclusive interview with FNA last year.

He underlined that Iran has already initiated research expeditions by the Navy's Oceanography Institute.

"This move has already been initiated based on the Navy's possibilities and facilities for now," Biqam said.

"The first step is familiarity with the relevant maritime culture and research expeditions by the Oceanography Institute and the next steps should be taken gradually," the Iranian Navy Lieutenant commander continued.

“The next phase of the Oceanography Institute's expedition missions will start in the coming days.”

"The later stages will definitely include construction of the Institute's own vessels," he stressed.

Rear Admiral Khadem Biqam said that there are a series of privileges and benefits in the North and South Poles and many powerful countries have gone there to conduct explorations which might be useful for them in the future.

“However, since Islamic Republic of Iran has a clear path of access to the South Pole through its Makaran coasts on the rims of the Persian Gulf…. it necessary to be present there and then probably as it has been brought in the Oceanography Institute’s program setting up a base in the South Pole is on our agenda which is, of course, a difficult task,” he added.