IRGC:

Iran-Russia-China naval drills scared countries seeking insecurity in region

Naval maneuvers jointly carried out by Iran, Russia and China in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean have caused fear and horror among those countries attempting to undermine security in the region, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says.

News ID: 448219

Date: 31 December 2019 - 11:08

RNA - Speaking to reporters on Monday, the IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said countries that care about regional security were pleased by the joint maneuvers.

"The drills by the three big countries of Iran, Russia and China conveyed the important message of security in the region to regional countries," Sharif added.

The three-day drills kicked off on Friday and covered 17,000 square kilometers consisting of various tactical exercises, such as target practice and rescuing ships from assaults and fires.

The drills come as the United States has been seeking to set up a so-called international maritime coalition in the Persian Gulf following a series of suspicious attacks on passing takers in the waterway it blamed on Iran.

Tehran has firmly rejected the accusations, describing the incidents as "false flag" operations.

Brigadier General Ebrahim Dehqani, who is in charge of the Naval Operations Department at the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said on Sunday that Iran and its allies can maintain regional security without any need for foreign forces.

“Our friends will be assured [through these drills] that the maritime security can be established by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies and there is no need for the presence of foreign forces, especially Americans, in the region,” the commander said, adding, “The presence of Americans only creates insecurity in the region.”

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said on the same day that the joint naval drills showed that Tehran is ready for cooperation to ensure safe maritime passage in the Strait of Hormuz.

"This joint exercise shows that Iran is willing to cooperate [with other countries] to ensure the security and the free passage of maritime traffic in the important international waterway of Hormuz," Zarif said.

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