The Iranian Navy is fully equipped and in complete military preparedness to counter any threat posed by its enemies, Iranian Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has said.

A number of new Qadir submarines are to join the naval forces to further strengthen its capabilities.

Navy Admiral Aziz Nasirzadeh said Iran also planned to design and manufacture an air-to-air missile that was more advanced than the Phoenix missile.

The long-range missile, when launched, would not allow the flying target to manoeuvre, Nasirzadeh said.

The Phoenix missile is an air-to-air missile capable of automatically tracking and hiting the target, according to the Tehran Times.

The Iranian warship in the Gulf of Aden is part of a strategic navy policy to display Iran’s power in the world, Sayyari said.