An attempt by pirates to hijack a Panamanian ship was foiled due to the timely action of the Iranian fleet of warships present in the region.
The Panamanian cargo ship, Cruiser Heilan, with 25 crews on board was on its route to Singapore when it came under attack by a number of pirates on several speedboats in the Sea of Oman.
The Iranian warships rushed to the scene after they received the help request by the Panamanian cargo ship.
The Iranian naval forces' swift action forced the pirates to flee the scene.
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.
Source: FNA