US calls drills as provocative actions in Hormuz

reporter 1222 — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 10:32:09 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Coincides with China, Iran, and Russia joint naval drills, Acting US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said on Friday that Iran could carry out “provocative actions” in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in that region in the future despite a period of relative calm.

US navy official told Reuters that “I think they’re going to continue to make drills as performance of provocative actions over Hormuz… and I think they’ll look at every opportunity they can to do that,” Modly told Reuters.

Since May, the Pentagon has sent 14,000 additional troops to the region to deter Iran, including an aircraft carrier.

Modly suggested that US reactions to Iranian actions could take away from the Pentagon’s focus toward priorities like countering China.

“As they start creating mischief over there… our reaction is we send an aircraft carrier over there for 10 months,” he said.

Modly’s warning on future actions coincides with China, Iran, and Russia beginning joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

The Gulf of Oman is a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes – which in turn connects to the Gulf.

In this regard, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pointed to the joint naval drill between Iran, Russia, and China and said, “the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced readiness to cooperate with its neighbors in line with providing security of the Persian Gulf.”

He added, “the joint military exercise in the Sea of Oman and Indian Ocean with the participation of Russian and Chinese partners manifests the vast commitments of the country to safeguard security of vital waterways.

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Joint naval drills between Iran, China, Russia soon

reporter 1222 — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 09:02:57 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi says Iran will hold joint naval drills with Russia and China in the Indian Ocean later this month.

Khanzadi made the announcement in a meeting with visiting deputy chief of the Chinese Joint Staff Department, Major General Shao Yuanming, on Tuesday, saying the joint drills, code-named Maritime Security Belt, would be launched in the Indian Ocean on December 27^th.

The two high-ranking military officials stressed the importance of cooperation between Iranian and Chinese armed forces as well as their effective role in maintaining regional and international security and peace.

“At the present time, the Iranian Army and the Iranian naval forces are resolute in their collaboration with China,” Khanzadi said. “Strategic goals have been defined at the level administrations, and at the level of armed forces, issues have been defined in the form of joint efforts.”

General Yuanming, for his part, praised Iran’s Navy as “an international and strategic force,” and said Beijing believed in a boost of bilateral ties between the two countries’ naval forces and called for a hands-on sharing of knowledge in the fields of education, technicalities and providing information.

The Chinese official also said the upcoming joint naval drills are a show of unity between Iran, China, and Russia.

In recent years, Iran’s Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

It has also managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.

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US calls drills as provocative actions in Hormuz

Joint naval drills between Iran, China, Russia soon