Tasnim – An Iranian military commander warned foreign countries that any craft used for spying on an ongoing joint naval exercise among Iran, Russia and China will be targeted.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Deputy Chief of Iran's Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari did not rule out the possibility of military espionage against the joint naval drills that Iran, Russia and China have staged in the in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean since Friday.

“Many countries are definitely seeking to know what the matter is. Spies have also taken action,” Sayyari told Tasnim.

“A joint war game is no joke, and this is no joking matter for us either,” he added.

“We will hit whatever spying craft in the war game zone, be it watercraft or aircraft, as we have proved having such a capability in the past,” the commander underlined.

Some information about the war game is publicized, but the classified information would not be accessible to anybody, Sayyari added.

Iran, Russia and China are holding a four-day joint naval exercise, dubbed Marine Security Belt, in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.

On Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian announced that Beijing's Xining guided-missile destroyer would take part in the drills. Three Russian vessels are also taking part in the drills, according to reports.

The war game comes amid US efforts to woo countries into a maritime coalition for patrols in the Persian Gulf, which have received lukewarm welcome from its allies.