TEHRAN: Iran and Russia will conduct naval maneuvers in the Sea of Oman on Thursday, following the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva, Iranian media reported.
On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval forces deployed in the region.
“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,” the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo.
“The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,” he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.
The war games come as Iran struck an upbeat tone following the second round of Oman-mediated negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday.
Previous talks between the two foes collapsed following the unprecedented Israeli strike on Iran in June 2025, which sparked a 12-day war that the United States briefly joined.
US President Donald Trump has deployed a significant naval force in the region, which he has described as an “armada.”
Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, particularly during periods of tension with the United States, but it has never been closed.
A key passageway for global shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas, the Strait of Hormuz has been the scene of several incidents in the past and has returned to the spotlight as pressure has ratcheted amid the US-Iran talks.
Iran announced on Tuesday that it would partially close it for a few hours for “security” reasons during its own drills in the strait.
Iran, Russia to conduct joint drills in the Sea of Oman
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Iran, Russia to conduct joint drills in the Sea of Oman
- The drills are set to occur a few days after the Revolutionary Guards conducted military drills in the Strait of Hormuz
Turkiye foreign minister to attend Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington
- Hakan Fidan to call for determined steps to resolve the Palestinian issue
- To also emphasize Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza, stop its ceasefire violations
ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Washington in lieu of President Tayyip Erdogan for the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” on Thursday, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
A Turkish diplomatic source said that Fidan, during the talks, would call for determined steps to resolve the Palestinian issue and emphasize that Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza and stop its ceasefire violations.
Fidan will also reiterate Turkiye’s readiness to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction and its desire to help protect Palestinians and ensure their security, the source said. He will also call for urgent action against Israel’s “illegal settlement activities and settler violence in the West Bank,” the source added.
According to a readout from Erdogan’s office, the president separately told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the Board of Peace would help achieve “the lasting stability, ceasefire, and eventually peace that Gaza has longed for,” and would focus on bringing about a two-state solution.
