Joint Naval Drills w/Russia & China In Indian Ocean This Autumn

Tzvi Joffre at the Jerusalem Post: "Iran's Chief of Staff announced that Iran will hold a joint naval drill with Russia and China in the northern Indian Ocean this fall, adding that Pakistan, Oman and other countries will likely take part as well."

• This will be the fourth set of naval exercises between the countries to take place, and the first since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late-February. The previous set of drills occurred in January 2022.
• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has sought to deepen relations with both Russia and China since coming to office in 2021, and with an agreement on re-implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal looking unlikely in the short-to-medium term becoming closer to Moscow and Beijing could be crucial for maintaining Iran's strategic importance in the Middle East.