Iran unexpectedly announced joint military exercises with Russia and China
(Baonghean.vn) - The Minister of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has just announced that Iran will soon conduct joint naval exercises with Russia and China in the northern Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.
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| An Iranian warship. Photo: Ria Novosti |
"Iran's first joint military exercises with Russia and China will be held soon," Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted Ghadir Nezami, head of international affairs and defense diplomacy of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, as saying.
However, details of the exercise have not been released, only that the exercises have various purposes, including exchanging experiences. Many predictions say that the exercises will begin before the end of 2019, and last until March 2020.
Earlier, on September 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that Russia and Iran are planning joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean. According to him, Moscow and Tehran are both interested in maintaining security and stability in the Gulf region.
Iran's decision to hold joint military exercises came less than 24 hours after the US announced the deployment of troops to the Middle East.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper stressed that the US is sending troops to the Middle East to protect its partners in the region from Iran's aggressive actions. At the same time, Mr. Esper reiterated President Trump's previous statement that the US does not want conflict with Iran but Washington is ready to take many other military measures, if necessary.
