On Nov. 22, Jame-Jam daily published a photo on its front page of an Iranian warship along with the headline “Iranian destroyers enter Atlantic Ocean for first time.” Iranian Navy Commander Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari announced the news, detailing that the 44th fleet of the Iranian navy is now docked at the Port of Durban in South Africa. However, Durban is located on the Indian Ocean coast, some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean.

Tasnim news agency also covered the news and published a video of the flotilla on the sea. According to Tasnim, the Iranian navy’s 44th fleet consists of the Alvand destroyer and the Bushehr logistic vessel.

Since Oct. 5, the 44th fleet of the Iranian navy has taken on a new duty to circle the African continent and reach the Atlantic Ocean. The flotilla first crossed the Gulf of Aden and on Oct. 29 docked for three days at the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast.

According to Sayyari, the fleet’s mission is to safeguard maritime routes used by Iranian vessels and oil tankers against pirates. “The Iranian navy has escorted 3,844 oil tankers and vessels in the Gulf of Aden to safeguard the country’s economy,” he stressed.