Iran, Russia, China to hold joint naval drills on Dec. 27

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi says Iran will hold joint naval drills with Russia and China in the Indian Ocean later this month.

Khanzadi made the announcement in a meeting with visiting deputy chief of Chinese Joint Staff Department, Major General Shao Yuanming, on Tuesday, saying the joint drills, code-named Maritime Security Belt, would be launched in the Indian Ocean on December 27th.

The two high-ranking military officials stressed the importance of cooperation between Iranian and Chinese armed forces as well as their effective role in maintaining regional and international security and peace.

“At the present time, the Iranian Army and the Iranian naval forces are resolute in their collaboration with China,” Khanzadi said. “Strategic goals have been defined at the level administrations, and at the level of armed forces, issues have been defined in the form of joint efforts.”

General Yuanming, for his part, praised Iran’s Navy as “an international and strategic force,” and said Beijing believed in a boost of bilateral ties between the two countries’ naval forces and called for a hands-on sharing of knowledge in the fields of education, technicalities and providing information.

The Chinese official also said the upcoming joint naval drills are a show of unity between Iran, China, and Russia.      

In recent years, Iran’s Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

It has also managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.