TEHRAN, October 16. /TASS/. Iran’s Armed Forces have thwarted a pirate attack against one of the country’s tankers in the Gulf of Aden, Commander of Iran’s Navy Amir Shahram Irani said on national television on Saturday.

"Thanks to special task teams, we managed to fend off a pirate attack on an Iranian tanker in the Gulf of Aden," he said.

The defense official added that five pirate boats were involved in the attack.

"Heavy fire opened on those vessels forced them back to a considerable distance," he said adding that "the tanker has left the dangerous area.".