According to Russian authorities, these practical exercises will take place in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with the primary objective of ensuring the security of economic activities.
The navies of Russia, China, and Iran will participate in joint naval maneuvers in the waters of the Gulf of Oman starting this Tuesday. This region has been shaken by attacks on ships carried out by the Houthi rebels from Yemen in response to Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that several Russian ships arrived on Monday at the Iranian port of Chabahar for their involvement in the maneuvers called “Maritime Security Belt 2024.” The naval group is led by the missile cruiser ‘Variag,’ the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, accompanied by the anti-submarine frigate ‘Marshal Shaposhnikov.’
According to Russian authorities, these practical exercises will take place in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with the primary objective of ensuring the security of economic activities at sea. Representatives from Oman, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Africa will also participate as observers, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
Iranian media specified that the goal of the maneuvers is to “strengthen regional security, promote collective cooperation, and demonstrate capabilities to provide concerted support for global peace and maritime security.”
These naval exercises, involving Russia, China, and Iran, starting on Tuesday, mark the fifth occurrence of such joint maneuvers in the Gulf of Oman.
The arrival of Russian ships in the Iranian port coincided with reports in the Russian press about the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, following the sinking of several Russian ships by Ukrainian naval drones.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, avoided commenting on these reports on Monday, stating that there are decrees with a seal of secrecy that he cannot discuss.
The military activities, scheduled to conclude on Friday, aim to “jointly maintain regional maritime security,” as stated in a Chinese Ministry of Defense release on WeChat. China will send the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, the guided-missile frigate Linyi, and the comprehensive logistics ship Dongpinghu to participate in the exercise.
This year’s exercises coincide with increased tensions in the region due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which began on October 7. The conflict has triggered a series of attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen, backed by Iran, against ships in the Red Sea.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz urged the United Nations Security Council, which includes Russia and China, to “exert all possible pressure” on Hamas to release the individuals it abducted during the terrorist attack on October 7.
Katz addressed the 15-member council, discussing a UN report indicating “reasonable grounds to believe” that acts of sexual violence, including rapes and gang rapes, occurred in various locations during the attack.
He called on the Council to condemn these crimes and to impose sanctions on Hamas, accusing the group of crimes worse than those committed by Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist organizations targeted by the Security Council.
