Iran navy dispatches flotilla to Gulf of Aden

Dubai: Iran’s navy has sent a fleet of 64 ships to the Gulf of Aden, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported, citing the force’s commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi.

The flotilla has been sent to “safeguard Iran’s interests” in an “insecure seafaring region,” Khanzadi said, according to IRNA.

A U.S.-led maritime coalition formally launched operations in the Gulf earlier this month, following a series of attacks on vessels and onshore facilities that some coalition members blamed on Iran.