Iran, Russia and China hold joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean

Iran, Russia and China began a joint naval exercise in the Indian Ocean on Friday in a bid to boost security at sea, Iranian state media reported. ships. Iranian Revolutionary Guards also participated with smaller ships and helicopters.

The report says the maneuvers will cover approximately 17,000 square kilometers, or about 6,500 square miles, in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, and will include night combat, rescue and firefighting operations later in the day. during the day, television showed images of a group of ships sailing in line and said that a total of 20 ships took part in the exercise.

It also showed footage of machine gun drills in the dark, daylight drills, Iranian and Russian Marines pushing back on the deck of a ship, and other videos. It is the third joint naval exercise by the three countries since 2019. It coincided with a recent visit by Iranian President Ebrahi Raisi to Russia which ended on Thursday.

Improved bilateral relations between Tehran and Moscow will strengthen security in the region and on the international scene, Raisi said after returning from Russia on Friday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Tehran has sought to boost military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow amid regional tensions with the United States.In recent years, visits to Iran by representatives of the Russian and Chinese navies have also increased.