Amid endless exercises, Iran begins naval drill with Russia

Tehran has been seeking to step up military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow amid regional tensions with the United States.

Iran’s armed forces on Tuesday launched a joint naval drill with Russia in the north of the Indian Ocean designed to “enhance security” of maritime trade, state television reported.

The “Maritime Security Belt Exercise” is to cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres and include units from the Iranian army and the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as Russia’s navy, the broadcaster quoted drill spokesman Rear Admiral Gholamreza Tahani as saying.

“The purposes of this drill are to enhance security of international maritime trade, confront maritime piracy and terrorism, and exchange information,” he added.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet said in a statement on Monday that three ships will take part in the drill.

Exercises will include “liberating a commercial ship abducted by pirates”and fighting fires, it said.

According to Tahani, the Indian navy will also join the exercise, in a message of “peace and friendship for neighbouring and regional countries.”

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the drill is to last three days.

The Iranian army said the exercises will also “expand bilateral relations” with Russia.

Iran, China and Russia held a similar drill in the area in 2019, and the Islamic Republic participated in “Caucus 2020” drills held in Russia last September.

Tehran has been seeking to step up military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow amid regional tensions with the United States. Visits to Iran by Russian and Chinese naval representatives have also increased in recent years.

Over the last few months, Iran has stepped up military drills as the country tries to pressure US President Joe Biden over the nuclear accord, which he has said America could re-enter.

Last Thursday, Iran’s IRGC conducted a ground forces drill near the border with Iraq in which drones, helicopters and military tanks were used.

Former US President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally withdrew the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Under the accord, Tehran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

When the Trump administration subsequently imposed severe sanctions on Tehran, Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the deal’s limits on its nuclear development.