The Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and China started their joint military maneuver in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman on Friday.
Iran's Navy's Deputy Operations Officer announced the deployment of large naval maneuvers of the three countries Iran, Russia, and China in the northern Indian Ocean.
Gholamreza Tahani at the press conference of the military drill said: The Indian Ocean region is very secure thanks to the authority of the Iranian navy forces comprising of army and IRGC.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang on Friday responding to a question from reporters, said, "Such drills (exercises) are aimed at securing peace in the region."
The maneuver, under the code name 'Marine Security Belt', is aimed at promoting the security of international trade in the strategic region, as well as sharing experiences in maritime rescue operations.
The joint drill, which is the first of such cooperation with Iran since the 1979 victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, comes amid US efforts to woo countries into a maritime coalition for patrols in the Persian Gulf, which have received a lukewarm welcome from its allies.
On Wednesday, Dec 25, 2019, too the spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces said that Iran, Russia and China would hold a maneuver in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.
Brigadier-General Abolfazl Shekarchi said in a press conference that the joint four-day drill would start Friday.
Saying that the drill is of great importance, he added that the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman are among the key zones of the world trade. Many countries have shipping activities in this area; that’s why maintaining security in the area is vital.
He said that Iran has proved that it always tries to maintain peace in the international waterways, especially this important area.
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