China, Russia, Iran holding joint naval drills

China launched five days of joint military exercises with Russia and Iran in the Indian Ocean on Monday, the Chinese defence ministry said, against the backdrop of rising armed conflict in the Red Sea.

The ministry said the navies of China, Iran and Russia would hold the “Maritime Security Belt – 2024” joint exercise from March 11 to 15 in the waters near the Gulf of Oman in the Indian Ocean, South China Morning Post reports.

It said China sent the 45th escort task force – consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, the guided-missile frigate Linyi and the comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu – to the exercise, “aiming to jointly maintain regional maritime security”.

The 45th naval escort task force has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean since October. It completed escort tasks for 72 Chinese and foreign vessels in 43 batches and provided security for 14 transiting merchant ships before transferring its role to the 46th naval escort task force last week.

It is the second time China has conducted joint drills in the Indian Ocean since the outbreak of war in Gaza after Hamas militants’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7.

In the Arabian Sea in November, China conducted joint exercises with Pakistan involving PLA guided missile destroyer Zibo. The Chinese nationalist tabloid the Global Times said it was “the largest ever” exercise to be held between the two countries.

The joint exercise also comes amid increasing confrontation in the Red Sea after Iran-aligned Houthi in Yemen launched drone and missile attacks on international and commercial shipping to show its support for the Palestinians, which prompted the US-led coalition to launch counterstrikes on the militant group.

China, which stations its warships at a naval base in Djibouti near the Red Sea, has not officially condemned the Houthi attacks but according to Reuters Beijing has urged Tehran to rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea. China abstained from a United Nations Security Council resolution on the conflict in January.

The Russian defence ministry said its Pacific fleet, led by the Varyag guided missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate, had arrived at Iran’s Chabahar port to take part in the joint drill.

“Russian vessels will participate in the joint naval exercise Maritime Security Belt – 2024. It will also involve ships, boats and naval aviation of Iran and China. Representatives of the navies of Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, India and South Africa will act as observers,” the Russian defence ministry said, according to TASS.

Along with Chinese and Russian fleets, more than 10 Iranian Navy vessels and three helicopters are reportedly taking part.

Last month, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Iranian Navy, announced that Tehran would hold joint drills with Beijing and Moscow before the end of March, aimed at ensuring regional security.

The tripartite naval drill comes a year after Maritime Security Belt – 2023 featured a five-day drill between China, Russia and Iran in the Arabian Sea. China’s South Sea Fleet destroyer the Nanning, Iran’s light frigate Jamaran and the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov took part.

The exercise involved live-fire suppression and strike precision, as well as anti-terrorism and anti-piracy training, including a simulated rescue mission to a hijacked merchant ship.