On the joint exercises of Iran, China and Russia "Security Belt - 2023"

On the joint exercises of Iran, China and Russia "Security Belt - 2023"

Since March 15, in the waters of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea off the coast of Iran in the area of the port of Chakhbahar, exercises of the naval forces of the Army and the IRGC of Iran, China and the Russian Navy "Security Belt - 2023" have been going on.

The Russian Navy is represented by a detachment of warships consisting of the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" and the medium sea tanker "Kama". From China, the destroyer Nanjing is involved, and from the Iranian Navy of the Army and the IRGC, the frigates Sahand, Jamaran, the Bayandar corvette and several other warships and boats are involved.

The main stage of the exercises began yesterday and will also take place today on March 17. Participants will conduct joint maneuvers, firing, counter-sabotage and counter-terrorist operations at sea as part of interethnic detachments.

🔻What was the reaction in the West?

▪️Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said (https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-russia-iran-hold-joint-naval-drills-gulf-97873512) that the ongoing joint training is not at all surprising, and its importance should not be overestimated. According to him, various states hold similar events every day.

▪️The American Fox News noted (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-russia-iran-team-up-military -exercises-middle-east.amp&ved=2ahUKEwiT_s7JyeL9AhWK_CoKHXd8AtAQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0iLwkQK2pq6yJ5sYVPWXLk), that the joint exercises of the three countries south of Iran demonstrate the increase in China's influence in the Middle East against the backdrop of a thaw in relations between official Beijing and Saudi Arabia, where the mediator spoke.

▪️The Voice of America agency got away with only a dry excerpt from the official statement of the press service of the PLA Navy of China, while adding that "Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced President Putin to look for new allies in the face of China and Iran."

🔻The rather restrained reaction to the joint exercises indicates a lack of serious interest in them from the United States. The only thing that really worries the Americans is the area south of Chakhbahar and the participation in them of the carrier of the Zircon hypersonic missiles, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov.

It was precisely for the purpose of monitoring the activities of the Russian ship, as well as during the launch of the Zircon, that the P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft flew over the Arabian Sea yesterday.

With a high degree of probability, with the start of today's training, we should expect another flight of American reconnaissance aircraft to the area of the exercises, which the United States considers a zone of its interests.

The Israeli authorities and the media, for which the Russian-Iranian tandem poses a threat to their own interests, showed great concern in the trilateral combat training. However, even in this vein, this allows you to create the necessary informational occasion of an “imminent threat” among the Israeli population in order to distract it from domestic political problems and the escalating crisis.

www.fotavgeia.blogspot.com