Iranian and Russian navies staged a joint exercise in the northern Indian Ocean on Thursday, as Washington builds up its military assets in the region, including deploying warships near Iran, despite renewed indirect nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
“The primary objective of the drill is to promote maritime security and sustainable naval interactions in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean,” said Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou, spokesman for the exercise, on Wednesday.
The commander of the Russian flotilla, Captain First Rank Alexey Sergeev, stressed the close ties between the two countries, according to the Iranian Army’s website. “The current level of cooperation shows the ability to jointly manage and resolve maritime and coastal challenges,” he was quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards held a two-day naval wargame in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, during which it partially shut the waterway to oil transit traffic.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a strong warning against the U.S. military build-up in the region. Addressing a public meeting on Tuesday, as Iranian and U.S. nuclear negotiators met indirectly in Geneva, he criticised the U.S. military presence at its bases across the region, including the deployment of two aircraft carriers.
"Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous are the weapons that can send the warship to the bottom of the sea," he said.
Another joint drill among Chinese, Iranian, and Russian navies is reportedly scheduled to be staged in late February.
Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is committed to the swift and full implementation of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, signed in January 2025.
At a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev on Wednesday, the Iranian president said he welcomed several meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office in 2024.
“All discussions between Iranian and Russian presidents have resulted in key strategic decisions serving the shared interests of both nations and opening new horizons for bilateral ties,” he said.
The Russian minister visited Tehran to co-chair the 19th Session of the Permanent Iranian-Russian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held on 16-18 February, which resulted in the signing of one cooperation agreement and four memoranda of understanding.
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More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
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Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
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