Iran plans to establish new naval base
Installation to be constructed in the Gulf of Oman, near the Pakistani border
Illustrative: An Iranian navy vessel launches a missile during a drill in the Sea of Oman, in January 2012. (AP/ISNA, Amir Kholousi)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s official news agency says the country’s navy plans to establish a new base near Pakistan’s border in the Sea of Oman.
The plans are part of Iranian ambitions to exert its naval power outside the Persian Gulf, including sending warships to the Mediterranean and claiming it might someday have ships in the Atlantic.
The IRNA report on Sunday quotes Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying that the base will be built in Pasabandar, about 30 kilometers (100 miles) west of Pakistani major port of Gwadar.
Iran has conducted numerous naval drills in past years as it increases its presence in regional waterways.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
