In what is being perceived as a step towards enhanced cooperation in the maritime domain and strengthening mutual friendship between the navies of India and Iran, two Iranian warships are on a goodwill and training visit to Mumbai.
The Mission Commander and the Commanding Officers of the two ships, IRIS Boushehr and IRIS Lavan, called on Rear Admiral Vidyadhar Harke, Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at Headquarters Western Naval Command to discuss areas of mutual interest and training curricula of both navies.
The flotilla, carrying nearly 220 officer cadets, is on a training mission in the Indian Ocean. The ships were accorded a warm welcome by the Indian Navy with a band in attendance.
The deployment is led by Captain Mohammad Saberi as Mission Commander, with Senior Captain Seyed Ali Madani commanding the Lavan and Commander Hamed Bahramian commanding the Boushehr, the Indian Navy said in a release.
Various activities have been planned to strengthen navy-to-navy interactions, including sports and training visits to the Naval Dockyard for officer cadets.
Over the years, cooperation between India and Iran has grown in various defence-related fields.
The visit by the Iranian ships further strengthens mutual friendship and is a significant step towards enhanced Navy-to-Navy cooperation in the maritime domain, the Navy said.
The training visit will continue till Friday.