Iran to Hold Joint Naval Drills with China, Russia

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has claimed that Russia and China have indicated their readiness to hold joint naval maneuvers with Iran.

"We have invited different countries to take part in the drills, and Russia and China have so far voiced their readiness to do so," Irani said during an interview with Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) on Sunday.

The commander added that different units of Iran's Armed Forces take part in joint maneuvers with other countries.

Russian Ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said in August that Iran, Russia and China will hold joint maritime exercises – dubbed CHIRU – in the Persian Gulf around late 2021 or early 2022, to ensure international shipping safety and combat piracy.

The three countries staged a four-day joint maritime exercise dubbed ‘Marine Security Belt’ in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman area in December 2019. The drills covered 17,000 square kilometers and consisted of various tactical exercises such as target practicing and rescuing ships from assault and incidents such as fires.