The drills in the Indian Ocean with China and Iran started on Friday, Iranian media outlets have reported.
Naval drills between Russia, Iran and China have begun on the same day as talks aimed at staving off the threat of a Moscow-led invasion of Ukraine are held in Geneva. Russia’s Defense Ministry had said this week that a detachment of its Pacific Fleet, including missile cruiser Varyag, anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and the sea tanker Boris Butoma, had entered the Iranian port of Chabahar for the exercises with its allies. Iranian and Russian media reported that the drills started Friday and included rescuing a floating vessel, releasing a hijacked vessel, shooting at targets, “and other tactical and operational exercises,” news outlet Hamshahri reported, according to a translation. This weekend’s drills in the northern Indian Ocean will take place over a 17,000-square-kilometer (around 6,500 square miles) area, Iranian media reported. Tass reported that the “anti piracy” exercises took place in the Gulf of Oman.
