Amid Tensions With US, Iran Kicks Off Joint Naval Drills With Russia, China

Iran’s navy on Friday kicked off the first joint naval drill with Russia and China in the northern part of the Indian Ocean. “The four-day exercise, launched from the southeastern port city of Chahbahar in the Gulf of Oman and near the border with Pakistan, is aimed at boosting security of the region’s waterways,” the report quoted Iran’s navy chief Adm. Hossein Khanzadi as saying.

Later on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet the drill is an indication of Iran’s commitment to provide security to regional waterways.

“Iran has long stated its readiness to work w/our neighbours to secure Persian Gulf,” he said.

This comes amid Iran’s tensions with the US. Iran’s economy has primarily been battered since the country has been locked in a standoff with the United States and its Gulf Arab allies after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 deal that gave it relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran’s sovereign wealth fund, whose board of trustees includes President Hassan Rouhani, as well as Etemad Tejarate Pars, a company that the Treasury Department said had sent money internationally on behalf of Iran’s defence ministry.

Last week, Rouhani slammed the “irrational” withdrawal of the United States from the multinational nuclear deal. This came after Rouhani met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. "I strongly condemn the US for unilaterally and irrationally withdrawing" from the deal, said Rouhani, who became the first Iranian head of state to visit Japan for two decades.

"I hope Japan and other countries will make efforts to maintain this deal," Rouhani said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed events in Iran with US President Donald Trump in a phone call. The phone conversation, which Abe told reporters took place at Trump’s request, came on the same day that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan. Japan is a key US ally that also maintains close diplomatic and economic ties with Iran, and Abe has tried to build bridges between the two rivals.

The Abe-Trump phone call lasted about 75 minutes.