Joint Naval Drills Turning Point in Iran, Russia, China's Military Cooperation :IRAN

Head of the Marine Industries Organization of Iran Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari said on Thursday that the recent naval wargames in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman was a milestone to further develop military cooperation among Tehran, Beijing and Moscow.

"Last week, the Islamic Republic held unprecedented joint naval drills with maritime powers in the Northern parts of the Indian Ocean that, in fact, showed the military might of the Iranian Armed Forces,” Rear Admiral Rastegari said on the sidelines of the 21st International Maritime and Offshore Technologies Exhibition on Qeshm Island.

He referred to the considerable feedbacks of the exercises at both regional and international levels, and said the joint maneuvers were the beginning of a broader future cooperation between the three powerful countries.

Rear Admiral Rastegari noted that the drills were also a great opportunity to showcase Iran’s naval might and self-sufficiency.

“Despite 40 years of sanctions and unjust pressures, we have managed to reach self-sufficiency in supplying the naval defense equipment,” he said, adding that "all the vessels and weaponry used in the maneuvers were domestically-produced".

Iran, Russia and China held the 3-day joint "Marine Security Belt" drills in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman area last weekend...

 (FNA)