Russia, China, Iran Launch Joint Naval Exercises

(MENAFN) Russia, China, and Iran have begun joint naval drills as part of growing military cooperation designed to reshape the balance of power at sea. Warships and aircraft from the three countries are conducting maneuvers in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean under a program known as the Maritime Security Belt.

The exercises, which originated as an Iranian initiative and have been conducted trilaterally since 2019, aim to enhance coordination among the navies and build a multipolar presence in the oceans. Russian officials described the drills as a response to longstanding Western dominance at sea and a move to counter what they call modern “gunboat diplomacy.”

Iranian naval authorities confirmed that Russia and Iran are holding combined drills this week as part of the broader exercises. The maneuvers come shortly after the second round of Oman-mediated indirect US-Iran talks in Geneva over Iran’s nuclear program, reflecting rising regional tensions and strategic positioning by the three nations.

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