Iran signalled its intention on 9 October to boost its deployment of warships beyond the Gulf. Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibol-lah Sayyari, speaking at a ceremony that launched the 16th flotilla on an extended mission into the northern Indian Ocean, said the presence of the I ranian Navy "will not only continue but also grow vaster". The flotilla was setting out to sea with its Jamaran 'destroyer': the first major surface combatant built in Iran (although referred to as a destroyer in Iran, Jamaran is generally held to be a frigate). Adm Sayyari had said in Septemberthatthe Iranian Navy was mulling a deployment to the Atlantic Ocean along the US coast in response to what it said was a bellicose positioning of US naval assets in the Gulf. The announcement elicited a strong reaction from Washington.
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