The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (Persian: ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????

)
acronymed NEDAJA (Persian: ??????), is the naval warfare service branch of Iran's
regular military, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh).[1][4]

It is charged with the responsibility of forming Iran's first line of defense in

the Gulf of Oman and beyond with the mission of acting as an effective blue-water
navy.[1] However, it is generally considered as a conventional green-water navy[4]
as it mostly operates at a regional level, in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman but
also as far afield as the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and northwest quarter of
the Indian Ocean.[1] In July 2016, the Navy said that it would establish a presence
in the Atlantic Ocean.[5]

One of Iran's two maritime military branches alongside the IRGC Navy, it overlaps
functions and areas of responsibility with the other navy, but they are distinct in
terms of military strategy and equipment. In contrast to the IRGC Navy, which is
equipped with small fast-attack crafts, the backbone of the Artesh navy's inventory
consists of larger surface ships, including frigates and corvettes, and submarines.
[4]

In December 2019, the Iranian Navy's head Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi stated that
the Iranian Navy will engage in annual joint exercises with Russia and China.[6]