The Iranian Navy will hold joint drills with naval forces from Russia and China, with the aim of safeguarding regional security, the commander of the Iranian Navy has announced.

According to The Iran Project,“Iran's joint naval exercise with Russia and China will be held by the end of the year, although other countries have also been invited to participate in this exercise,” Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said on Monday.

Irani said preserving and protecting the interests and economic resources of the Islamic Republic is the most important mission of the Iranian Navy.

“This exercise will be carried out with the aim of protecting the security of the region and common interests,” he added.

The commander further said that the Navy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces, plans to add several ships to its naval fleet by mid-March. 

In March 2023, naval forces from the three allied countries carried out a joint drill in the Sea of Oman, code-named Security Bond-2023.