Russia, China, Iran to hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman

China, Russia, and Iran will hold the Security Belt 2025 joint maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman this month, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on March 9.

Both China and Iran have supported Russia during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, helping it sustain its war effort despite the West's sanctions. The cooperation between these authoritarian regimes appears to continue to deepen as the West is growing more divided due to U.S. President Donald Trump's U-turn in foreign policy.

The new drills will start on March 11 in the port of Chabahar, located in southeast Iran, the Tasnim news agency reported. The three countries are planning to practice countering maritime targets, rescue operations, and maneuvering.

The exercises are aimed at deepening "the mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between the participating countries' armies," the Chinese ministry said.

The three countries conducted similar joint naval exercises in the past, including in 2023 and 2024.

Beijing has remained a key ally of Moscow throughout the invasion, deepening economic ties and becoming Russia's leading source of dual-use goods — components that are used for manufacturing weapons.

Russia has also strengthened its ties with Iran, in particular deepening the level of military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed attack drones used in attacks against Ukrainian cities.