The purpose of the Iran-Russia-China joint exercise, dubbed ‘naval security belt combined war game 2023’, was to boost maritime security and to expand multilateral cooperation between the three countries, said Rear Admiral Shahram Irani on Friday.

The Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Irani in an interview with Press TV said that maritime security chiefly forms the basis of the joint naval drill.

He underlined that Iranian naval forces attach paramount significance to the safety of maritime navigation throughout the world.

“The focus of the first day of the naval security belt combined war game 2023 was on coordination, cooperation, the rescue of vessels that have fallen prey to pirate attacks, and how to counter acts of terror,” the Iranian Navy Commander emphasized.

He added: “Presently, the unjustifiable presence of some foreign military forces continues to pose challenges to the region. The issue had to be addressed and handled. Therefore, all available military means, both in terms of watercraft and aircraft, were utilized and all designed drills were successfully exercised.”

Marine Security Belt, also known with the portmanteau CHIRU, is a trilateral naval exercise involving China, Iran, and Russia as partners.

First held in 2019, the exercise is being held annually. (ILKHA)