WANA (August 12) – Colonel Soleimani, the deputy of the 5th IRGC Naval Fleet (Martyr Soleimani Fleet), has highlighted some key points about the mission in a recent discussion. Colonel Soleimani emphasized that confining operations to the Persian Gulf would not allow to expand our strategic influence.

 

He mentioned that after the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran called for an increase in the strategic depth of the IRGC Navy in 2017, NEDSA officially dispatched its flotilla, including the Martyr Siavashi, to the northern Indian Ocean region.

 

He also noted that previously, a convoy named after Hazrat Fatima Zahra (a.s.) was sent in 2015. He added that this trend continued over the years, and the 5th IRGC naval flotilla successfully crossed the equator on the Shahid Mahdavi ship.

 

The deputy of the 5th IRGC Naval Fleet mentioned that following the United States sanctions on the IRGC Navy, it was necessary to demonstrate that the IRGC Navy is not solely a coastal force but also can deploy heavy vessels in international waters.

 

Shahid Mahdavi’s ship began its mission from the Persian island, the exact location where the Americans had killed Mahdavi, containing essential messages for the Americans.

 

After that, Shahid Mahdavi’s ship approached the vicinity of Diego Garcia Island, one of the most important American bases in the Indian Ocean region, and conveyed a message to the Americans stating that we could be present at the closest point to you. Of course, we conducted this mission with complete professionalism and did not seek any tension.

 

 

READ MORE ABOUT OCEAN LINER “SHAHID MAHDAVI”

In mid-May, it was announced that the ocean liner “Shahid Mahdavi” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy crossed the Equator and entered the southern hemisphere. The ship was registered under the name “Nader Mahdavi” in honor of a martyr.The Shahid Mahdavi ship, weighing over 2100 tons, is 240 meters long and 27 meters wide, and it is the first Iranian vessel equipped with long-range ballistic missiles.

 

In the form of the Shahid Soleimani flotilla, the Shahid Mahdavi successfully completed its mission, passing through important straits and crossing the Equator. It entered the US Navy’s 7th fleet area, approached the island of Diego Garcia, and returned after 39 days.