Iran, Russia, China to hold naval drills in Gulf of Oman
International Desk
Naval forces from Iran, Russia and China will begin military drills in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said a group of its warships had arrived in Iran to take part in drills with Iran and China in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The joint exercises, called “Maritime Security Belt – 2024,” will involve warships and aviation, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by state media on Monday.
“The main purpose of the maneuvers is to work out the safety of maritime economic activity.”
Russia’s grouping is led by the Varyag, a missile cruiser from its Pacific Fleet, the ministry said. It said representatives from the navies of Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, India and South Africa would act as observers.
The naval and airborne units of Iran’s Navy will participate in the joint naval drills. Naval delegations from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan and South Africa have taken part as observers in the exercises.
The Maritime Security Belt - 2024 naval drills are meant to beef up security and its fundamentals in the region, enhance multilateral cooperation among the participating countries, and to demonstrate the goodwill and ability of the participants to jointly safeguard global peace and maritime security.
The exercises are also intended to strengthen the security of international maritime trade, combat piracy and maritime terrorism, and provide an opportunity for the exchange of information in the field of maritime rescue as well as operational and tactical experiences.
The Iranian naval forces and their Chinese and Russian counterparts have held several military drills in recent years to enhance the security and stability of international maritime trade.
They have also been involved in joint efforts aimed at countering piracy and maritime terrorism, exchanging information in naval rescue and relief operations as well as sharing operational and tactical experience.
In March 2023, the Iranian, Chinese and Russian naval forces staged the 2023 Marine Security Belt war game in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean, which was the fourth joint exercise in recent years.