Tehran, Iran – – China, Iran and Russia made joint naval drills on Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a sample of force in a region still restless Tehran’s rapid expansion nuclear program and how Yemen hutis rebels Threatening new attacks against ships.
The joint exercises, called the 2025 maritime safety belt, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic hormuk Strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all crude oil that negotiates to the whole world passes. The area around the Strait in the past has seen They will take advantage of commercial ships and Launch alleged attacks In time from President Donald Trump first Unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Tehran nuclear agreement with world powers.
The exercise marked the fifth year that the three countries participated in the exercises.
This year’s simulation probably caused a warning on Monday night of the United Kingdom Commercial Operations Center of the British military, who said there was GPS interference in the Strait, with interruptions that lasted several hours and forced the teams to trust the backup navigation methods.
“This was likely to be a GPS touch to reduce the orientation capacity of drones and missiles,” Shaun Robertson wrote, an intelligence analyst in the EOS Risk Group. “However, the interference of the electronic navigation system has been previously informed in this region during periods of greater tension and military exercises.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense identified the ships that sent the drill as Corvettes Rezky and the hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the Pechenega oil company. China’s Ministry of Defense said he sent the Baotou Guided Missile Destroyer and the Gayouhu Integral Supply Ship. Neither of them offered a staff count involved.
Neither China nor Russia actively patrol the broader Middle East, whose river routes are still crucial for global energy supplies. Instead, they greatly give that to the western nations directed largely by The 5th Fleet of the US Navy. Uu. With Bahrain. The drill observers included Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, with the Americans who probably also monitor.
However, both China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. For China, you have continued buying Iranian crude oil Despite facing Western sanctions, probably with a discount compared to global prices. Beijing also remains one of the main markets for Iranian imports.
Russia, meanwhile, has trusted Iran for The supply of drones with bombs used in its war in Ukraine.
The exercises marked an important moment for Iran’s state television network. Segments were issued that show living fire during a night exercise and sailors who handle guns in a container. The exercises occur after a simulation of Iranian months that followed an Israeli direct attack on the country, pointing to its aerial defenses and sites associated with its ballistic missile program.
While Tehran sought to minimize the assault, shook the broadest population and arrived as a campaign of Israeli murders and attacks The “Self -Disquiscript of Iran Axis” – A series of allied militant groups with the Islamic Republic. The Syrian president, Bashar Assad, was also overthrown in December, further weakening Iran’s control in the region in general.
All the time, Iran has stored more and more uranium enriched at levels close to weapons, something just made by nations with atomic weapons. Tehran has long maintained its program for peaceful purposes, even when its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb.
Iran’s nuclear program has attracted warnings of Israel and the United States that it will not allow Tehran to obtain a bomb, indicating that a military action against the program could occur. But last week Trump sent a letter To the supreme leader of Iran Ali KhameneiLooking for a new nuclear agreement with Tehran. Iran says he has not received any letter, but still issued a wave of pronouncements about her.
As a high unstable fire remains in Israel War against Hamas in Gaza’s stripYemen’s hutis rebels have threatened to resume their attacks against shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connect the two river routes.
The secret leader of the rebels, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that Attacks against vessels linked to Israel Outside Yemen would resume in four days if the aid did not resume Gaza. That deadline came and left on Tuesday. Although no attacks were reported, that again put the loaders to the limit. The rebels had directed more than 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones, sink two ships in your campaign That has also killed four sailors.
___
Gumbrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
