Iran To Hold Naval Drills In Gulf Of Oman With China, Russia - General Staff

Iran will conduct naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, not only with Russia, but also with China, the chief of the international affairs department of the Iranian General Staff, Brig. Gen. Qadir Nezami said on Saturday

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2019) Iran will conduct naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, not only with Russia, but also with China, the chief of the international affairs department of the Iranian General Staff, Brig. Gen. Qadir Nezami said on Saturday.

"Soon and for the first time after the Islamic revolution, joint exercises with Russia and China will be held," Nezami was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.

According to him, the drills with the participation of the three parties will be held in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.

The drills have various goals, including the exchange of experience, Nezami noted.

Nezami also said that chiefs of general staffs of a number of countries would soon visit Tehran, but he did not specify which countries were in question and when exactly this would happen.

In July, Iranian Navy commander Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi said that Iran and Russia were planning to hold joint drills in the Indian Ocean region by the end of the year. At the same time, he did not specify the Calendar. The Iranian year begins in March, and thus the drills may be held before January or March 2020.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif previously confirmed the intentions of Tehran and Moscow to conduct joint naval exercises, noting that they will be held in the Indian Ocean and are not directed against third countries. However, the minister then did not talk about China's participation in the maneuvers.