China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday as part of five days of drills designed to “deepen practical cooperation among the navies of participating countries”.

The Chinese and Russian defense ministries announced the drills from March 15 to 19 on Wednesday.

The drills are part of the 2023 edition of the “Marine Security Belt”, China’s defence ministry said.

Vessels including the Chinese destroyer Nanning and Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov were seen in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.

Russia’s defense ministry said the active phase of the exercises would be on Wednesday and Thursday, involving various joint maneuvres including daytime and night-time artillery firing.