America’s rivals join Iranian ships for naval exercises
Russia and China joined Iran in a rare show of joint military force yesterday, with the Kremlin hailing combined naval patrols on strategic oil routes as an unprecedented display of cooperation on the global stage.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had sent a corvette, a tanker and a rescue tow boat to take part in the joint exercises in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. They would practise joint manoeuvres and liaison and carry out a simulated operation to inspect and free a vessel seized by pirates.
The drills were designed to ‘‘deal with the issues of maintaining stability in the region, security and the fight against terrorism’’, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Gholamreza Tahani, an Iranian admiral, pointed out the benefits for his cash-strapped country as it struggles to cope with United States sanctions.
‘‘The message of this exercise is peace, friendship and security . . . to show Iran cannot be isolated,’’ he said.
Tensions remain high in the waters off Iran. The US accused Tehran of orchestrating attacks in May and June on international merchant vessels, including
Saudi and British tankers, in the Strait of Hormuz. The US believes Iran was also behind drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi oil plants in September. Tehran has denied any involvement.
Tahani said the four days of joint exercises would be a signal to the world that relations between Tehran, Moscow and Beijing had reached a ‘‘meaningful’’ level.
It was the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran had held exercises with two naval powers at such a level, he said.
The Gulf of Oman leads to the Strait of Hormuz, through which 30 per cent of the world’s oil is transported by ship.
Brigadier-General Abolfazl Shekarchi of the Iranian armed forces said the drills were aimed at ensuring international trade security in the region.
China has dispatched a guided missile destroyer to join the exercises, calling them a ‘‘normal military exchange’’ that was ‘‘not necessarily connected with the regional situation’’.
Moscow and Tehran are allies in the Syria conflict, supporting President Bashar al-Assad.
Washington has clashed with Moscow over alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, and with Beijing over trade tariffs.
A Pentagon spokesman said the US would monitor the exercises. The US is planning its own naval mission to protect shipping in the area.