TEHRAN – Iranian naval guards have seized four Indian vesselsfor trespassing on the country’s territorial waters in the Arvand waterwayon the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Colonel Mohammad-Ali Musivand, commander of Abadan Navy Base, told the ISNAnews agency that the vessels had been seized on Saturday morning during apatrol by his forces.
The vessels had 16 crew members who were arrested as “border intruders,” headded.
Musivand further stressed that all those detained will be freed afterIran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes measures to resolve their problem.
Iran closely monitors all movements in its territorial waters to protectmarine life and ensure the security of the country’s sea borders.
In November last year, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah SeyyedAli Khamenei met with Navy commanders and personnel on the occasion ofNational Navy Day.
The Leader highlighted the achievements made by Iran’s naval forces tosafeguard national interests as well as their effective role in ensuringthe security of trans-regional and international waters, underlining theneed for the Navy to speed up its progress in various fields.