(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Heavily-armed warships from Russia, China, and Iran have converged in the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea to commence joint military exercises, further strengthening military ties among these allied nations.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense stated in a press release that the exercise, named “Security Bond 2024,” aims to enhance regional maritime security and cooperation amid escalating tensions in the region.
Beijing announced the deployment of its destroyer “Urumqi,” frigate “Linyi,” and supply ship “Dongpinghu” to participate in the exercises.
Last year, the three nations considered as “enemies of America” conducted similar exercises in the same location.
Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency reported that, in addition to the participating warships, representatives from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, India, and South Africa will act as observers during the military exercises.
The primary goal of the exercises is to strengthen the security foundation in the region and expand cooperation among participating maritime nations.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense emphasized that the maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman, targeting the reinforcement of maritime security, will involve warships from the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy, led by the cruiser Varyag, which has already arrived at the Char Bahar port in Iran for the exercises, enhancing friendship among the three nations.
These military exercises among the warships of the three “enemies of America” occur at a time when tensions in the region are at a critical point due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip between Palestine and Israel, as well as missile attacks by the Houthi armed group on commercial ships sailing in the Red Sea.
Senior officials in the United States have expressed concerns about the increasingly close security and defense ties between Russia, Iran, and China.
Last year, the highest-ranking U.S. military officer, General Mark Milley, stated that Russia, China, and Iran would pose various challenges to Washington in the coming years.
Recently, Iran reportedly sent approximately 400 high-powered ground-to-ground missiles to Russia, providing further evidence of the deepening defense and military relations between the two countries.
The delivery of these missiles is expected to support Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
International news agency Reuters quoted six sources, stating that most of these short-range ground-to-ground missiles belong to the “Fateh-110” family, such as “Zolfaghar.”
According to military experts, these Iranian-supplied missiles to Russia have a precision range from 300km to 700km.
Reports indicate that Iran began sending these ground-to-ground missiles to Russia last month after negotiations between the two parties in Tehran and Moscow concluded last year.
To assist Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, Iran and North Korea are reported to have sent various types of weaponry, including unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery shells, rockets, and more.
Iran has also dispatched the combat drone “Shahed-136,” effectively used by Russia to target Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Furthermore, Russia and Iran are reportedly collaborating on establishing drone production facilities for the “Shahed” series in Yelabuga, south of Moscow. – DSA