China, Iran and Russia hold joint war games in Gulf of Oman
www.aljazeera.com
Military exercises running through March 16 are to involve warships and aviation.

State media reported that a grouping of ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet, led by the Varyag cruiser, arrived at the Iranian port of Chabahar on Monday ahead of the drills that will see representatives from the navies of Azerbaijan, India, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan and South Africa act as observers.

For its part, China’s defence ministry said the drills – called “Maritime Security Belt – 2024” – were aimed at “jointly maintaining regional maritime security”.

“China will send … guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, guided-missile frigate Linyi and comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu to participate in the exercise,” the ministry added in a statement, without providing further details.

Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that the exercise’s goal is to strengthen “the security of international maritime trade, combating piracy and maritime terrorism”, among others.

The drills come as a United States-led naval coalition has been operating in Red Sea waters since December 2023 trying to counter the Houthi attacks.

Separately, some 20,000 troops from 13 NATO members are conducting drills in the north of new member Sweden as well as its neighbours Finland and Norway.

The Nordic exercise is part of wider exercises called Steadfast Defender 24, the largest in decades for the US-led military alliance, with up to 90,000 troops taking part over several months.

The alliance says the intention is “to demonstrate NATO’s ability to defend every inch of its territory” – widely seen as a signal to Russia.

  • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.worldEnglish
    101·
    9 months ago

    Perfect situation for an enormous false flag attack tbh. Instant world war just add warhead.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    92·
    9 months ago

    Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that the exercise’s goal is to strengthen “the security of international maritime trade, combating piracy and maritime terrorism”, among others.

    Isn’t Iran the nation that is giving intelligence and missiles to Houthi rebels that are causing the current danger to shipping in the Red Sea? A karmic response would be if an Iranian ship was hit by an Iranian missile in the Red Sea fired by the Houthis.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
      21·
      9 months ago

      And Iran has in recent history threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz by deploying sea mines.

      Maybe their role in the exercise is to simulate the bad guys?

  • Mrkawfee@lemmy.worldEnglish
    628·
    9 months ago

    Good to see a multipolar world arising from the rubble of Gaza. The US and Israel have brought nothing but death and misery to millions in the Middle East

    Edit: Triggered the Muricans

        • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.worldEnglish
          161·
          9 months ago

          Or Ukrainians, or Uyghurs? Russia’s main security strategy involves using people against each other, this isn’t exactly a great look.

          • bamboo@lemm.eeEnglish
            31·
            9 months ago

            The civilian death toll in Gaza has already surpassed the civilian death toll in Ukraine. As far as I’m aware any action taken against Uyghurs by China hasn’t included any form of mass killing.

          • Mrkawfee@lemmy.worldEnglish
            314·
            9 months ago

            I was talking about the Middle East which is what this article is referencing. The US and Israeli dominance of this region needs to end if there’s to be any chance of peace.

            • doingthestuff@lemmy.worldEnglish
              42·
              9 months ago

              Yeah can’t allow a tiny bit of land to people who don’t conform to Middle Eastern demands, or there will be no peace!

              • Mrkawfee@lemmy.worldEnglish
                23·
                9 months ago

                It doesn’t matter if Israel conducts a genocide with US weapons and political support though does it?

                • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  2·
                  9 months ago

                  Rhetorical question is highly rhetorical. I spend most of my free time working to undermine Likud. The government doesn’t give a fuck what I personally think.

        • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          71·
          9 months ago

          Well hey, if whataboutism is allowed:

          Uighurs. Ukraine.

          You cannot expect to be a sino/russophilic cheerleader and not get those counterpoint immediately.

          • Mrkawfee@lemmy.worldEnglish
            25·
            9 months ago

            Who created the vacuum in Iraq that led to the creation of IsIs? It wasn’t the Russians.

            • cabron_offsets@lemmy.worldEnglish
              41·
              9 months ago

              Like it or not, it’s Russians propping up Assad and doing the killing, with boots on the ground. None of this started with ISIS, it started with the Arab Spring.