Iran: Naval exercise with Russia and China

Tehran ran a high-profile, three-day naval exercise in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman with Russia and China in late December, under the title Marine Security Belt. China’s Type 052D Xining guided-missile destroyer took part, along with three vessels from Russia’s Baltic fleet: the Neustrashimyy-class anti-submarine warfare frigate Yaroslav Mudry, a tanker and a tug boat. Both Russia’s Yaroslav Mudry and China’s Xining are relatively modern vessels frequently seen in the region.