Navy Foils Pirate Attack On Iranian Oil Tanker

Iran’s naval forces saved one of the country’s oil tankers from a pirate attack in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, a Navy official said.

According to the official, the pirates launched the attack early on Thursday on board 11 speed boats.

Maritime Security News Note:

Well. It’s been quite some time since the Iranian Navy claimed to have foiled a pirate attack. Few navies have killed as many invisible pirates as Iran’s, and the location of this incident is curious to say the least. It’s unlikely that Somali pirates would transit that far our of the Gulf of Aden, given the military traffic around Yemen’s coast. Additionally, for Somali pirates to muster 11 skiffs to attack… in 2019? There isn’t a pinch of salt big enough, frankly. Generally, contact in this area is usually from elements of the Saudi coalition, who often patrol the anchorages off Mocha and Hodeidah by speed boat, or Houthi militants. It’s also unlikely that the Iranians would engage Houthis in combat.

Source: https://maritimesecurity.news.blog/