China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval exercises

China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval exercises tomorrow, Friday, a public relations official of the Iranian armed forces told the state-run ISNA news agency today.

The "Maritime Safety Zone 2022" exercise will be held north of the Indian Ocean and is the third joint naval gymnasium of the three countries, added Mustafa Tajoldin.

Since taking office last June, hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has been pursuing a policy of deepening relations with China and Russia. Tehran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in September, a Central Asian-led security agency led by Beijing and Moscow.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdolahian visited China last week, and the Iranian president is meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow today.

China, Russia and Iran started joint naval exercises in 2019 and will continue to do so in the future, Tajoldin said.

"The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen security and its bases in the region, and to expand multilateral cooperation between the three countries in order to jointly support world peace, maritime security and to create a maritime community with a common future." , the Iranian official told ISNA.

The exercises will be attended by the Navy and the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and include a variety of strategic exercises such as rescuing a burning boat, releasing a hijacked boat and shooting at air targets at night.

Source: RES-EAP