OREANDA-NEWS. On December 27, training exercise of the naval forces of the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran began in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.

This was reported in the statement of the Iranian Navy. Its spokesman Golyamrez Tahani emphasized that the exercise signifies “peace, friendship and stable security.” The manoeuvres will be held on an area of ​​17 thousand square kilometers, in the space from the port of Chabahar to the northern part of the Indian Ocean.

The Iranian official added that Teheran is conducting similar-scale exercise for the first time since 1979. The exercise’s name is Maritime Security Belt. It is aimed at ensuring security in the region, as well as countering terrorism and maritime piracy.