China, Russia, Iran ‘plan joint naval drill in international waters’
- Iranian news outlet quotes military official as saying exercise will be held soon, but Chinese media silent on reported manoeuvres
General Ghadir Nezami Pour, head of international affairs and defence diplomacy of Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces, said the drill would take place in international waters, the Iran Press news agency reported.
“The exercises have different goals, including the exchange of tactical and military experiences, and sometimes they seek political goals which show a kind of convergence between participants,” he was quoted as saying.
“Officials at the level of defence minister, chief of staff of the armed forces and commanders of the armed forces will come to Iran in the near future and these actions reflect Iran’s active defence diplomacy,” he was quoted.
The comments came in the wake of the September 14 missile strikes on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities.