naval forces

In recent decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been struggling with piracy security threats and has suffered a lot. The piracy crisis and the presence of pirates in international waters have become one of the main crises facing the Iranian economy. Considering Iran's determination to develop its maritime transit and obtaining a larger share of the transit of free waters, attention has been paid to the issue of maritime security and the investigation of the phenomenon of piracy and ways of coping with it. Iran, like other members of the international community and following the resolutions of the Security Council, considers the threat of piracy, especially Somali pirates, to be a threat to itself, and through the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran's military, a combination of legal, political-military measures in the form of Defense diplomacy has taken to deal with it. This article seeks to answer the question of what role the Iran Navy has played in countering the threat of piracy security within the framework of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and in accordance with international law. The findings of this paper indicate that Iran Navy has been in charge of maritime security in the last decade to deal with this security threat and has been able to reliably restrain these threats by legal, political, military mechanisms. And it has a relatively successful performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the background and conceptual evolution of piracy and to discover its various forms throughout human history and the legal and international status of the fight against piracy and the actions taken by the Iran Navy in the context of IONS to ensure maritime safety.

Topic and Significance of the Discussion: The Islamic Republic of Iran boasts 190,000 square kilometers of maritime territory and over 5,800 kilometers of coastline, with approximately 40% of its borders being maritime. A crucial element in the realm of marine defense diplomacy is the enhancement of maritime defense capabilities, which includes extending the presence of naval fleets beyond territorial waters and into international waters. Consequently, the Supreme Leader has consistently emphasized the importance of leveraging maritime resources and strengthening naval forces. The central research question is: What are the regional and transregional security policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the maritime domain, and what achievements have been realized in pursuit of maritime-oriented development? Results: The regional and transregional security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran can be demonstrated through the enhancement of its strategic naval force, which consists of both the Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, each playing a complementary role. This policy yields several key outcomes: it allows for the display of the Islamic Republic of Iran's flag in distant waters, ensures the security of Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers to promote sustainable international maritime security, and safeguards Iran's interests in strategically important waters. Additionally, it showcases the naval force's capability to operate wherever the nation's interests dictate. The policy also aims to send messages of peace and friendship globally while countering narratives of Iranophobia. It enhances combat capabilities, broadens the operational reach of naval units, and evaluates Iran's readiness and self-sufficiency in the realms of science and technology. The policy maintains a presence in targeted waters despite facing comprehensive economic and military sanctions and allows for the acquisition of valuable experiences in navigation and international maritime law by traversing critical, heavily trafficked international straits and waterways. Furthermore, it facilitates the collection of intelligence regarding the combat readiness and deployment status of transregional forces, broadens the scope of Iran's diplomatic efforts, and establishes security to promote trade in both regional and international contexts. This, in turn, fosters economic activity and supports maritime-oriented development.