development, the Iranian Navy sat down earlier this month with 21 other navies to discuss anti-piracy activities off Somalia. One of those at the table was the US Navy. The navies operating off Somalia meet periodically to coordinate their activities. Iran has refused previously to attend any of the meetings. It wasn’t known what prompted Iran to change its tune. Iran has kept two ships on patrol off Somalia at all times since May 2009, but remained studiously separate from the others, although the area being patrolled is so immense that only coordinated operations have any hope of success. Iran was represented at the meeting in Sri Lanka by Admiral Gholam-Reza Khadem Bigham (photo), deputy commander of Iran’s Navy.