Photo: Collected
Russia, China and Iran will begin joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean on March 12 with the participation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan and South Africa, Iranian media reported on Monday (11 March).
The drills, titled "Maritime Security Belt - 2024," will involve surface and air units of the Iranian navy, as well as Russian and Chinese naval units, the IRNA state-run news agency reported.
The exercise will be aimed at cementing regional security grounds, including in the sphere of international maritime trade, developing multilateral cooperation among the participants, establishing a naval community of the common future, tackling piracy and maritime terrorism, and exchanging knowledge and experience in maritime rescue operations, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Last month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the planned joint naval drills of Russia, Iran and China were not aimed at destabilizing the situation in the Middle East.
Last year, Russia, China and Iran conducted a trilateral naval exercise Maritime Security Belt-2023 in the Arabian Sea.
Messenger/Mumu
