A joint military drill with China and Russia can be considered as one of the greatest achievements of Iran's defense diplomacy showing the successful diplomacy of Iran.
This joint drill which was called ‘Maritime Safety Belt’ by Iran’s Navy commander will be held on December 27, 2019, said a senior spokesman for the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, according to IRNA.
Reports during the last week show that the Chinese and Russian navies have moved to Iranian waters to participate in the joint naval exercise.
Russian Navy will participate in this drill with three vessels, including a Neustrashimy frigate class named “Yaroslav Mudry”, a tugboat named “Yevgeniy Khorov” and a tanker named “Yel'nya”, according to a report by Fars News.
Chinese Navy also will take part in the event with a Type 052D destroyer named Xining.
The composition and capability of warships deployed by China and Russia to the waters of the region to conduct joint drill with Iran show that this joint event is of strategic importance to Russia and China as the two countries have deployed advanced and new vessels to carry out the exercise.
On the other hand, this joint naval drill of Iran, China and Russia can be considered as the counter to the US-led coalition for maritime security in the Persian Gulf.
In this regard, Iran Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said in an interview with Mehr News agency in late November, “The joint naval drill to be staged by Iran, China and Russia delivers this message to the world that any kind of security at sea must include the interests of all concerned countries.”
"A joint wargame between several countries, whether on land, at sea or in the air, indicates a remarkable expansion of cooperation among them," he noted.
Khanzadi then told Mehr News Agency that “the joint wargame between Iran, Russia, and China, which will hopefully be conducted next month, carries the same message to the world, that these three countries have reached a meaningful strategic point in their relations, with regard to their shared and non-shared interests, and by non-shared I mean the respect we have for one another’s national interests.”
According to Commander of Iran’s Army Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, this drill demonstrates the determination of countries that are seeking security in the region against those countries that are after creating insecurity, and enemies should take lessons from the drill's messages.
The drill has political goals, as well as the exchange of tactical and military experiences and represents a kind of convergence between participants.
Noting the joint naval drill of Iran, China and Russia is of particular importance, Shekarchi said, “The Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman are key areas of world trade, so security in this area is important and vital.”
“Iran has so far proven that it has always strived to secure international waterways, especially in this key area,” he said, adding, “The military drill will be held to enhance and strengthen the international trade security in the region.”
He went on to say, “The exchange of security experience between Iran, Russia, and China, fight against terrorism and piracy are among the most important goals of the joint naval drill.”
“The security implications of this drill will be for all countries around the world and bring security stability,” Shekarchi noted.
ZZ/