Friday, October 27, 2023

China, Russia & Iran Conduct Joint Naval Drills in Gulf of Oman

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China, Iran, and Russia are conducting joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of National Defence. The drills, dubbed “Security Bond-2023,” are aimed at deepening practical cooperation between the participating countries’ navies and promoting regional peace and stability. The exercises will focus on search and rescue at sea and other non-combat missions. Other countries are also taking part in the drills, although details have not been provided. The Gulf of Oman is strategically located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and is bordered by Iran, Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

China has dispatched its guided missile destroyer Nanning to participate in the drills. China’s only foreign military base, complete with a navy pier, is located in Djibouti, across the Gulf of Oman. The exercises come amid heightened tensions between China and the US over a range of issues, including China’s refusal to criticise Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and continuing support for the Russian economy.

The US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has said that the White House is not concerned by the joint training exercise, as it is not the first time that the Russians and Chinese have trained together. Kirby added that the US will monitor the exercises to ensure that there is no threat to national security interests or those of its allies and partners in the region. The three countries have held similar drills in 2019 and last year, underscoring China’s growing military and political links with nations that have been largely shunned by the US and its partners.

The US and its allies have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, imposed economic sanctions on Russia, and supplied Ukraine with defensive arms. China’s deepening ties with Moscow have raised questions over its potential willingness to offer military aid to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Iran and the US have been adversaries since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979 and the taking of US diplomats as hostages.

Last week, China hosted talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that resulted in an agreement between them to restore full diplomatic relations after seven years of tensions. The US and Saudi Arabia have longstanding military and political ties, but relations have frayed over the killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 and cuts in production by the OPEC+ oil cartel that the administration said was helping Russia. China’s hosting of the recent Iran-Saudi talks placed it in the unusual role of mediator in regional conflicts, one that Beijing appears to be keen to capitalise on.

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