The Role of the Navy in the Practical Realization of Maritime Diplomacy
According to the reporter of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), the unveiling ceremony of the book ‘Achievements of Sea-Oriented Diplomacy’ was held on Sunday, November 15, at the General Staff of AJA (Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran), with the presence of Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the author of the work and Chief of Staff of the Army, Mehdi Kamous, writer, researcher, and consultant to the Army’s specialized publishers’ desk, and Ebrahim Heidari, CEO of Book House.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, while congratulating on Book and Reading Week, emphasized the importance of books, stating: ‘Books build a person in intellectual, scientific, and spiritual dimensions. We were told from old times that a book is our best friend. Books are either in specialized fields or in the field of stories and novels, which, in addition to entertainment, also bring us experience.’
He continued: ‘Sometimes some people think books are only for leisure time, but that’s not the case. Books raise thought and intellect, increase knowledge, and deepen human understanding.’
The author of the book ‘Achievements of Sea-Oriented Diplomacy’ spoke about the reason and motivation for writing the book: ‘In 2008, we received an approval from Ayatollah Khamenei for the Navy to participate in the Indian Ocean Rim Naval Forces meetings. The second hosting was by the UAE, and we participated there as well. In those sessions, we raised maritime issues and condemned global arrogance; wherever sea piracy occurs, global arrogance is its cause.’
He added: ‘Some time later, this meeting was hosted by Australia, and after that in Bangladesh, and in 2018, we hosted it in Tehran. In that session, we excluded America. In the voting, everyone voted positively for America’s presence, but we did not. Many countries spoke with us to give a positive vote, but we did not give in and excluded America from the sessions.’
Admiral Sayyari, emphasizing the implementation of Iran’s sea-oriented naval diplomacy, stated: ‘In the sessions we had, the topic of maritime diplomacy was raised. Ayatollah Khamenei says in his speeches: The Navy is scientific, military, political, and international. What the Navy does by being present in regional waters and participating in these sessions is the practical realization of all the leader’s statements, and this is what is referred to today as maritime diplomacy.’
The 33rd edition of the Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the slogan ‘Let’s Read for Iran’, began on Saturday, November 14 (2025), and will continue until November 20 (2025).
