By Abbas Nazil
Iran has completed the annual Exercise Maritime Security Belt, which took place from March 11 to March 15 in the waters off Chahbahar, near the country’s eastern border with Pakistan.
The drill, held in collaboration with Russian and Chinese naval forces, was the seventh edition of the joint exercise and carried significant geopolitical implications.
The exercise featured three key phases: an assembly and preparation stage, followed by an active maritime drill, and concluded with a harbor-based review and lessons-learned session.
The overnight maritime phase included offensive actions against maritime targets, visit/board/search and seizure operations, damage control procedures, and coordinated search and rescue drills.
Given the logistical challenges of assembling fleets from distant locations—China’s ships sailing from Djibouti and Russia’s from Vladivostok—the active segment was notably brief, reinforcing the largely symbolic and political nature of the event.
Iran has increasingly sought stronger defense ties with Russia and China, particularly amid pressure from the Trump administration.
While Iran views these relationships as a potential deterrent against foreign intervention targeting its nuclear and missile programs, both Russia and China have broader strategic interests.
Russia benefits from Iranian drone and missile shipments, particularly in light of its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, while China continues to secure access to Iranian oil at favorable prices.
However, both nations also maintain lucrative ties with other Middle Eastern countries, making their long-term commitment to Iran uncertain.
The choice of location in the Sistan-Baluchistan region also highlights Iran’s domestic security concerns.
The area has witnessed persistent separatist unrest, with Iranian authorities alleging foreign-backed involvement in insurgent activities.
By demonstrating enhanced coastal defense and surveillance capabilities, Iran aims to deter arms smuggling and subversive activities along this volatile coastline.
China has a vested interest in regional stability, given past attacks on its Belt and Road Initiative projects in Baluchistan.
The Chinese navy was represented by the 47th Naval Escort Group, deploying the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Baotou (F113) and the Type 903A replenishment ship Gaoyouhu (K904) —notably fewer ships than previous years.
The Russian fleet consisted of Steregushchiy-Class missile corvettes Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (F339) and Rezkiy (F343), accompanied by the oiler Pechenga.
Iran’s naval contribution included IRINS Alvand (F71), IRINS Jamaran (F76), and IRINS Bayandor (F81), alongside fast attack missile boats and the IRGC Navy’s Shahid Soleimani (PC313-01) catamaran missile corvette.
The much-anticipated Shahid Bagheri (C110-4), a converted oil tanker reportedly modified for drone launches, did not appear, further fueling speculation about its operational readiness.
The exercise also saw naval delegations from Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the UAE attending as observers, underscoring the broader regional interest in the maritime security dynamics of the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.