Iran's Commander: Gates of the North Sea and Finland opens to Iranian fleet
Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi described the presence of Iran's Sahand and Makran ships in the Gulf of Finland as a historic event and said the success means the opening of the gates of the North Sea and Finland to Iranian fleet.
Khanzadi, who arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday evening at the head of a delegation, the Iranian ships travelled via such a long routes to enter the strategic areas that is unprecedented."
The Iranian navy commander has traveled to St. Petersburg upon the invitation of the Russian Minister of Defense.
He took part in Russian naval drills as well.
He said that he will meet with high-ranking Russian military and defense officials and his own counterparts from the participating countries.
The main part of the maneuver will be held in St. Petersburg on Sunday, July 25.
According to the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, 54 warships from different countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, will take part in the parade.
This year, the fifth parade of the Russian Navy in the contemporary history of the country (30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union), will be held on the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian military fleet, the Russian Defense Minister said.
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