(Bloomberg) -- Iran said it added a warship capable of carrying helicopters, drone aircraft and missiles to its fleet, signaling an intent to extend its naval influence beyond its native Persian Gulf.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detailed the 150-meter-long Shahid Rudaki in a statement on its website, Sepah news reported.
The IRGC’s naval fleet is mostly made up of small speed boats deployed close to Iranian shores and around the Strait of Hormuz. The Shahid Rudaki will improve the security of Iran’s maritime transportation lines, according to the statement.
Iran has sent several shipments of fuel to its ally Venezuela this year in defiance of U.S. sanctions.
