Iran, India hold joint naval exercise tomorrow

TEHRAN: Iran will hold one-day joint navy exercise with India on Friday.Talking to reporters in Tehran, Iran Navy’s commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the drill would be held in the east of Hormuz Strait.

Meanwhile, two Indian warships docked in southern Iran, IRNA reported. The Indian Navy flotilla docked at the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.The fleet, comprising INS Trikand (F51) and INS Ganga (F22) frigates, arrived in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, on Tuesday for a four-day stay.

During their stay in Iran, the Indian naval personnel on board the warships are scheduled to hold joint exercises with Iran’s navy, hold talks with Iranian navy commanders and local officials and visit historical and cultural sites of Hormozgan.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the Indian flotilla on Tuesday, the commander of Iran’s First Naval Zone, Rear Admiral Amir Hossein Azad, said the presence of naval units from different countries, particularly regional states, in Iran conveyed the message that sustainable peace and security would be possible only through cooperation with all regional states.

He added that the presence of extra-regional forces was not aimed at serving the interests of countries in the region. “Interaction among regional countries will have a positive effect on increasing the level of political, economic and military relations which will help boost maritime security and peace,” Azad said.He noted that it was the second time that Indian warships had berthed in Iran over the past year.