Iran, Russia, and China are set to conduct joint naval exercises off the coast of Iran this week, aiming to enhance military cooperation and regional security, Iranian media reported on Sunday.
The drills, scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Chabahar, a port city in southeast Iran along the Gulf of Oman, will involve warships and support vessels from the three nations, including units from Iran’s army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the Tasnim news agency.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed that its Pacific Fleet would participate with two corvettes and a tanker. The exercises will focus on ship liberation operations, search and rescue missions, and live-fire drills targeting sea and air threats. China’s defense ministry announced the deployment of a destroyer and a supply ship for the drills.
Observers from Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka will also attend the exercises.
These joint drills come amid continued efforts by the three nations to counter Western influence in the region. In February, the Iranian army held similar exercises to bolster its defense capabilities.
