Iranian Navy’s 86th flotilla completes mission, enters territorial waters after round-the-world voyage

The Iranian Navy’s 86th flotilla of warships has entered the country’s territorial waters after a round-the-world voyage as part of the Islamic Republic's efforts to expand its naval presence in high seas.

The Iranian Navy’s flotilla, comprised of domestically-manufactured Dena destroyer and Makran forward base ship, entered the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday, after sailing 63,000 kilometers of sea routes over eight months and a circumnavigation of the globe in 360 degrees.

The 86th naval fleet, which set sail on a mission around the world form Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 20, 2022, had its first stop at the port of Mumbai, India, and then docked in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, after passing through the Bay of Bengal and the Strait of Malacca.

The flotilla continued its route towards the Java Sea and passed through the Strait of Makassar and the Celebes Sea, arriving in the vast Pacific Ocean for the first time in the history of Iran's military seafaring.

Crossing the greatest width of the Pacific Ocean and passing by the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia, the flotilla moved towards the Strait of Magellan in the south of the Americas and entered the South Atlantic Ocean by crossing the strait.

The 86th naval fleet, then, moved north and passed the coasts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, finally anchoring in the port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which coincided with the 120th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Iran and Brazil.

Brazil allows Iranian flotilla to dock in Rio de Janeiro despite US pressure to bar them

The Brazilian government allows Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro, despite US pressure.

After stopping for a few days in Rio de Janeiro, the naval squadron crossed the Atlantic Ocean and anchored in the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The flotilla berthed in the port of Salalah, Oman, and after a 40-day voyage, sailed into Iran’s territorial waters.

The 86th naval fleet is scheduled to dock in the port city of Bandar Abbas in two days.

FM spox congratulates flotilla’s arrival

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani hailed the round-the-world voyage of the 86th naval fleet, saying the achievement marked the first one in the Iranian history by fully indigenous warships.

“Congratulations to the great nation of Iran,” Kan'ani said in a Persian-language tweet.

“The Iranian Navy’s 86th flotilla of warships, for the first time in the history of Iran, made a round-the-world voyage by the all-Iranian destroyer Dena and the Makran forward base ship, which included representatives from 29 provinces of the country, and marked another achievement on the international scene.”

Dena is a Mowj-class destroyer that joined the Iranian Navy in June 2021. The military vessel is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes and naval cannons.

Makran is a forward base ship weighing 121,000 tons. The warship can carry five helicopters and is employed for providing logistical support for the combat warships.

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