Iran holds military drills with China, Russia
The Iranian military has held joint drills with China and Russia in the northern Indian Ocean.
The exercises on Friday included rescue operations and the freeing of a hijacked vessel. A destroyer and other ships from the three nations took part.
Iran says the drills are aimed at strengthening the security of international maritime trade in the region. The northern Indian Ocean leads to the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for crude oil and natural gas.
A spokesperson for the Iranian military stressed Tehran’s close ties with Beijing and Moscow, saying the drills show Iran is not isolated.
Iran has been bolstering its ties with China and Russia amid stalled talks with the United States on reviving the 2015 deal on Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian leaders want sanctions imposed by the US to be lifted.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held talks with President Vladimir Putin in Russia. It was his first visit to the country since he took office.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in China on January 14.
