Iran Hosts Joint Naval Drill in Caspian Sea
Rescue and Security Exercise in the Caspian Sea. Photo: X/ @TheDarkRealityA
July 22, 2024 Hour: 10:01 am
The drill is aimed at promoting cooperation between Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
On Monday, Iran and Russia began join naval exercises in the Caspian Sea focused on rescue operations but also target practice.
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The exercise, codenamed 2024 Hybrid Maritime Search, Rescue and Security, was being staged off the Iranian port city of Bandar-e Anzali and involved the Iranian Navy’s maritime and aerial forces as well as Russia’s SB 45 vessel. Representatives from the Caspian Sea littoral states, including Azerbaijan, also supervised the exercise.
The spokesman for the Russian-Iranian drills, Captain Abas Hasani, listed the Iranian missile cruisers taking part in the exercise as Peykan (Arrow), Joshan (Armor), Derafsh (Flag) and Separ (Shield), adding the drill also involved two AB 212 helicopters of the Iranian Navy.
The drill was aimed at promoting interaction and cooperation between the maritime apparatuses of Iran and other countries bordering the Caspian Sea, namely Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Azerbaijan.
Captain Hasani, who stressed that the littoral states do not tolerate the presence of non-regional countries in the region, said that the drill would be staged over four days and involve two main phases.
The coastal phase will include developing designs, ensuring coordination, and providing relevant training. The tactical phase will involve operations to contain fires, rescue shipwrecked and injured crew members, and conduct aerial photography.
At the beginning of July, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei assured that the relations between Tehran and Moscow will not be affected by the change of government in the Persian country after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, who will be replaced by Masud Pezeshkian.
Autor: teleSUR/ JF
Fuente: Xinhua - EFE