A large-scale naval exercise, codenamed the “Caspian Maritime Rescue, Relief and Security 2024”, got underway in the Caspian Sea, involving military forces from Iran and Russia.

According to The Iran Project, Captain Abbas Hassani, an Iranian Navy commander who serves as the spokesperson for the drill, said the exercise kicked off on Monday morning.

The exercise is attended by the Iranian Navy’s airborne division and military vessels, including ‘Paykan’, ‘Darafsh’, and ‘Separ’ corvettes, as well as two AB-212 helicopters, he said.

The captain noted that a flotilla of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, named ‘Martry Baseer’, has also taken part in the maritime drill alongside Russia’s SB45 vessel which entered the Iranian territorial waters on July 21.

The spokesman stated that representatives from the Caspian littoral states are monitoring various stages of the drill as observers.

Over the past recent years, the Iranian Navy's forces have held several military drills in southern and northern waters.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly assured other nations, especially its neighbors, that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stressing that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.