Tehran, April 05: The Iranian Navy warships have foiled a pirate attack on a petroleum tanker belonging to the Islamic Republic off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden.
The 300,000-ton Najm oil tanker, en route from Iran’s southern island of Khark to the Egyptian port city of Ein al-Sakhna, came under attack on Monday by a pirate boat, Mehr news agency reported.
Iranian warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden came to the rescue of the Najm oil tanker
The attackers fled the scene after warning shots were fired. There were no reports of injuries.
Monday’s incident brings to four the number of foiled Somali prate attacks on Iranian merchant vessels since the start of new Persian Year (March 21st).
The waters off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia are considered the world’s most dangerous for persistent piracy attempts.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels traveling annually between Asia, Europe and the Americas.
The Iranian flotilla of warships deployed in the Gulf of Aden is part of anti-piracy surveillance in the area.
——–Agencies