Bandar Abbas, July 24 (FNA) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, underlined the peaceful nature of Iran's presence in the high seas, but meantime said the growing might and power of the Iranian Navy, displayed through its presence in international waters, has worried the enemies of the country.

Addressing high-ranking officials of the Iranian Armed Forces in the port city of Bndar Abbas on the Persian Gulf on Sunday, he pointed to Iran's naval presence in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb, and stated, "This presence has made enemies nervous and worried."

"The strong presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy in the high seas is promising and inspiring for nations," the Leader continued.

Meantime, he stressed the defensive nature of Iran's military activities, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran doesn't favor aggression, but it favors presence in the high seas because these seas belong to all and are a ground for transfer of culture."

"A naval force with such strategic features will play a decisive role in the country's politics, national dignity and honor, and independence," the Leader went on saying.

Iran has remarkably boosted its naval power in recent years. Early in July, Iran's Yunes submarine, sailing alongside warships of the 14th fleet of the Iranian Navy, returned home from an almost two-month-long mission in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The deployment of Iranian submarines in the Red Sea was the first such operation by the country's navy in far-off waters.

Iran has also deployed warships in the Red Sea to combat Somali pirates.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

Iran's Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated and well-equipped force and is effectively in control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.