China, Iran and Russia hold joint naval exercises

China, Russia and Iran began conducting naval exercises near the Gulf of Oman this week.

China's Ministry of Defense announced in a statement on March 11 that the exercise, known as "Security Park 2024", will continue from March 11 to March 15.

Iran News Agency reported that the exercise will start on Tuesday, and representatives of the naval forces of Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, India and South Africa will also participate as observers.

Iranian state media also reported that the purpose of the exercise was to strengthen security and its foundations in the region and expand multilateral cooperation among participating countries.

In a statement released by the Chinese side on Monday, the Chinese 45th Coast Guard Group will participate in the exercise with the Urumqi guided-missile destroyer, the guided-missile destroyer and the Dongpinghu comprehensive supply ship.

According to Russian media reports, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the actual part of the exercise will be held in the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The Moscow side added to the statement that the exercise aims to protect maritime security.

It is reported that China, Russia and Iran held similar exercises in the same area last year. This year's exercise comes at a time when tensions in the region are escalating, with the Iran-backed Houthis attacking merchant ships passing through the Red Sea and the US-led coalition attacking Yemen.