"In June 2009 an agreement was signed allowing Iranian battleships to anchor in the port of Aden, part of an Iranian task force to fight Somali pirates. They are expected to join the six Iranian battleships already patrolling the Somali waters to protect Iranian cargo ships. Tehran is also strengthening its ties with African countries lying on the Red Sea, among the Sudan , Eritrea and Djibouti to enable it to establish an active naval presence in the Red Sea leading to the Gulf of Eilat and the Suez Canal . Iran is liable to exploit its use of the ports in those countries for terrorist and subversive political activity against Israel and moderate Arab countries and to respond, should its nuclear facilities be attacked".
See: "Iran’s Activity in East Africa, the Gateway to the Middle East and the African Continent," Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, July 29, 2009
