The Iranian news agency IRNA reported on November 6, 2024, that the Iranian Navy's 100th fleet has been deployed in the Gulf of Aden, off the southern coast of Yemen.

According to Admiral Aria Shafqat Roudsari, head of the Khomeini Naval University in Noshahr, the deployment is crucial for maintaining Iran's presence in the region and ensuring maritime trade security. He stated that the 100th fleet is currently on a mission thousands of miles from Iranian borders to secure maritime routes, allowing shipping and oil tankers to operate safely.

Roudsari emphasized the necessity of providing security for shipping lanes due to the threat of piracy, noting that ensuring safe export and import routes is vital not only for Iran but for global trade as well.

The agency highlighted the significance of Aden, claiming it has been "the largest and most prosperous city in Yemen for centuries" and is now second only to the capital, Sana'a.

In late August, Iranian military commander Shahram Irani indicated that the Iranian naval forces are active in the northern Indian Ocean, particularly in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, to safeguard maritime shipping. He noted that adversaries are attempting to destabilize the region, but the Iranian naval presence has expanded compared to the past.

The deployment of Iran's naval fleet in the Gulf of Aden occurs amid ongoing attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group against international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, alongside the potential for escalating conflict between Israel and Western nations on one side, and Iran and its armed affiliates in the region on the other.