Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi (photo) announced that his forces will soon be equipped with new home-made destroyers and subsurface vessels.

Khanzadi made the remarks on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in India earlier this week, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.

He also underlined influential role of the Iranian Navy in international waters and protection of Iran’s interests, and said: “Today, the Iranian Navy stands above others in the region, considering its most important features which include its influential role in the region and having creative human resources.”

Rear Admiral Khanzadi, heading a high-ranking military delegation, has traveled to India to participate in the IONS symposium in Kochi Port on Monday.

Before his departure, Khanzadi told reporters that the Indian Navy had held a special three-day summit with participation of 32 countries on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the IONS.

“The Indian Ocean region is considered one of the most important areas of the world, and its security is very important. In this regard, IONS has been working for 10 years to increase environmental awareness and synergy among the countries of the region to achieve collective security,” he said.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, commonly known as IONS, is referred to a series of biennial meetings among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean region.

It provides a forum to increase maritime security cooperation, providing a chance for discussion of regional maritime issues and promote friendly relationships among the member-states.