Iran s warships to join in Russian military games

Tehran July 23 (IANS) Two Iranian naval vessels have set sail for Russia to take part in a Russian military games media reported on Sunday.

Iran s Peykan-class frigates from the navy s Caspian flotilla will also make a port call at Azerbaijan s Baku as part of their itinerary before reaching Russia Xinhua reported.

The overseas mission would last 25 days Commander of the navy s Caspian flotilla Rear Admiral Ahmad Reza Baqeri said.

On July 15 Russian and Iranian navy forces attended a joint exercise in the Caspian Sea.

The Russian fleet had berthed at Iran s northern port city of Anzali as part of programmes intended to boost military cooperation between the two countries.

Iran s Rear Admiral Afshin Rezaei Haddad said that the navies of five Caspian littoral countries were cooperating to secure it as the sea for peace mutual respect and good-neighbourliness.

Over the past few years Iran has sent several fleets with the same mission from the country s northern and southern waters to the high seas.

--IANS
ahm/vt