TEHRAN - Russia, China and Iran have deployed naval vessels for joint exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev announced on Tuesday.

In an interview with the weekly Argumenty i Fakty, Patrushev said Russia is working to build a “multipolar world order on the oceans” in response to Western hegemony.

“We will tap into the potential of BRICS, which should now be given a full-fledged strategic maritime dimension,” he said, TRT World reported.
He added that the first BRICS naval exercise, dubbed “Will for Peace 2026,” was held in January in the South Atlantic and involved Russia, China, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa.

According to Patrushev, participating navies practiced coordinating efforts to protect trade routes, which he said are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

“The Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, where Russia, China, and Iran sent their ships, proved to be relevant,” he added.

The Maritime Security Belt is set to be hosted by Iran in mid-February in the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, one of the world’s most strategically important chokepoints, according to the Tasnim news agency.

The joint naval drills were first launched in 2019 at the initiative of Iran’s navy and have been held seven times since then.

The announcement by Patrushev comes as Iran’s IRGC Navy conducted a large-scale live-fire drill in the Persian Gulf.

The commander of the IRGC Navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, described the first phase of the drill - codenamed “Smart Control of the Hormuz Strait” - as a success. In remarks to the Tehran Times, he said Iran is using its islands as core military assets in the maneuvers.

“The Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are impregnable fortresses and unsinkable aircraft carriers that represent the national honor of Iranians,” Tangsiri said. “The mission to defend these islands and the entirety of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz has been entrusted to the IRGC Navy.”