Maritime security chiefly forms the basis of the Iran-Russia-China joint exercise, dubbed �naval security belt combined war game 2023�, said Rear Admiral Shahram Irani on Friday.







During a joint naval exercise that involves naval forces from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and China, in the Sea of Oman, the Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Irani in an interview with Press TV said that maritime security chiefly forms the basis of the joint naval drill.

He added that Iranian naval forces attach paramount significance to the safety of maritime navigation throughout the world.

�The focus of the first day of the naval security belt combined war game 2023 was on coordination, cooperation, the rescue of vessels that have fallen prey to pirate attacks and how to counter acts of terror,� the Iranian Navy Commander highlighted.

According to Irani, combating maritime terrorism is one of the primary objectives of the naval drill. �Presently, the unjustifiable presence of some foreign military forces continues to pose challenges to the region. The issue had to be addressed and handled. Therefore, all available military means, both in terms of watercraft and aircraft, were utilized and all designed drills were successfully exercised.�

Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajoddini, the spokesman for the joint exercise stated that launching overnight strikes against hostile aerial targets was among the main tactics of the naval drill, which Iranian, Russian and Chinese forces successfully practised late on Thursday.

Participants in the joint drill, including units from the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy and flotillas from China and Russia, practiced attacks on various aircraft in close coordination and in accordance with a common tactical language, Tajoddini added.

This joint exercise is the third of its kind, following similar drills involving the Iranian, Chinese, and Russian navies in 2019 and 2022.



By Mehr