A handful of the United States’ greatest adversaries are expected to stage sweeping joint military exercises sometime in the coming weeks, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing Russian and Iranian-state media sources.
China, Russia and Iran will hold joint “war game” naval drills sometime before the end of March, according to the Post. The drills coincide with broader conflicts in the Middle East, where Iran and its proxies have been clashing with the West and as Russia continues its war against Ukraine. (RELATED: Here’s What China’s Foray Into The Middle East Could Mean For Taiwan)
Iranian navy commander Shahram Irani said the drills aim to secure “regional security,” as quoted by Russian and Iranian news sources, according to the Post. Other countries have also been invited to observe the exercises, including Pakistan, Oman, India, Brazil and South Africa.
UFA, RUSSIA – JULY 10: In this handout image supplied by Host Photo Agency / RIA Novosti, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, centre, during a group photograph of BRICS leaders and the leaders of the invited states. From left: President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon, President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. From right: President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on July 10, 2015 in Ufa, Russia. (Photo by Alexander Vilf / Host Photo Agency/Ria Novosti via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani walk as they attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Bishkek on June 14, 2019. (Photo: VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO/AFP via Getty Images)
It isn’t clear where the drills will be held, but last year a similar exercise between the three nations was held in the Gulf of Oman, according to the Post. The Gulf of Oman neighbors the Red Sea, the maritime stage where conflicts have erupted between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Western forces.
China has not condemned the Houthis’ actions and has taken steps to increase its military presence in the Middle East, including through a planned new base in Oman and an existing logistics hub in Djibouti.
The type 052D guided missile destroyer Guiyang of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China’s PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on April 23, 2019. (Photo by MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Middle East has been thrown into conflict in the wake of the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 civilians dead. Israel has launched a sweeping counteroffensive against Hamas in response, prompting other Iranian-backed terrorist groups to launch attacks against the U.S. and other Western allies in the region.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes with his Iran’s counterpart Hassan Rouhani during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai on May 21, 2014. China is hosting the CICA summit in Shanghai with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin among the heads of state attending. (Photo by ALEXEY DRUZHININ/RIA-NOVOSTI/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (3rd R) speaks with his Iran’s counterpart Hassan Rouhani (2nd L) during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai on May 21, 2014, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) attending the meeting. China is hosting the CICA summit in Shanghai with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin among the heads of state attending. (Photo: ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP via Getty Images)
This pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned agency Sputnik shows Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shaking hands during a meeting in Beijing on October 18, 2023. (Photo by SERGEI GUNEYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Last year’s “Security Bond-2023” trilateral naval drills took place in the Gulf of Oman over a five-day period, according to the Post. China’s South Sea Fleet warship, a Russian frigate and an Iranian light frigate were involved in live fire and training operations during the drills.
“The exercise deepened the practical cooperation between the navies… and further showed the willingness and ability to jointly maintain maritime security,” Qiu Maoxuan, the Chinese warship’s captain, said in an interview with Chinese-state media, according to the Post.
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