Russia, China, and Iran are preparing to conduct joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman and northern Indian Ocean, signaling a deepening military alliance among these nations amid concerns about Western dominance. Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev emphasized that the drills, dubbed Maritime Security Belt, represent a concerted effort to establish a 'multipolar world order at sea', responding to what he described as persistent Western hegemony.

The naval exercises will feature warships and aircraft from all three countries, marking a significant step in their collaborative military strategy that has been ongoing since 2019, excluding a year in which China did not participate. The initiative, originally proposed by Iran, aims to strengthen operational interoperability among the naval forces and develop coherent maritime strategies in the face of rising tensions and perceived military aggressions in international waters.

Patrushev highlighted the growing importance of naval power in current geopolitics, attributing the resurgence of military activity on the seas to the geopolitical shifts necessitated by changes in global power dynamics. This move towards greater military cooperation between Russia, China, and Iran underscores their strategic partnership and could potentially redefine naval security in the region, which has implications for global trade routes and regional stability.