Chinese, Iranian, Russian navies conduct joint maritime exercise

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The naval forces of China, Iran and Russia conducted a joint exercise code-named "Security Belt 2025" near Iran's Chabahar Port from March 9 to 13, a Chinese defense spokesperson said Thursday.

Under the theme "Building Peace and Security Together," the three sides dispatched over 10 vessels, as well as special operation forces and diving units to join the exercise, which focused on counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference.

The exercise tested tactical command coordination and joint operational capabilities of the participating forces, and deepened military trust and practical cooperation among the three countries, the spokesperson said.

Noting that China, Iran and Russia have successfully conducted five joint maritime exercises since 2019, Wu said China is willing to actively engage in maritime security cooperation with all parties, and make new contributions to global and regional peace and stability.