Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman on Thursday, Iranian media reported, coming shortly after fresh talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The exercises follow separate manoeuvres launched earlier this week by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway where US naval forces are deployed.
“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,” the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo.
“The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,” he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.
The planned war games come as Iran adopted a positive tone after a second round of Oman-mediated negotiations with the United States in Geneva on Tuesday.
Earlier discussions between the longtime rivals collapsed after an unprecedented Israeli strike on Iran in June 2025, triggering a 12-day conflict that the United States briefly joined.
United States President Donald Trump has deployed major naval assets to the region, which he has described as an “armada.”
Iran has repeatedly warned it could block the Strait of Hormuz during heightened tensions with Washington, although the passage has never been fully closed.
The strait, a vital route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has seen several incidents in recent years and has drawn renewed attention as pressure mounts alongside the ongoing US-Iran talks.
Iran said on Tuesday it would partially close the strait for a few hours for “security” reasons during its own military drills.
(AFP)