Iran, Saudi Arabia plan more joint drills in Red Sea amid warming ties
Iran and Saudi Arabia will take part in further joint military exercises in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, amid ever-growing and warming ties between the two regional countries.
“Saudi Arabia has requested that we have a combined exercise in the Red Sea,” Iran’s Navy chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani was quoted as saying.
“Coordination is underway and delegations from both countries will hold the necessary consultations on how to conduct the exercise."
Riyadh confirmed on Wednesday its armed forces had taken part in joint naval exercises with Tehran.
“The Royal Saudi Naval Forces had recently concluded a joint naval exercise with the Iranian Naval Forces alongside other countries in the Sea of Oman,” said Brigadier General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi defense ministry.
Several foreign countries including India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand and Bangladesh recently also took part in the maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean along with their Iranian counterparts.
Commenting on the drill, Rear Admiral Irani said the presence and participation of different countries in the combined Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise “IMEX 2024”, hosted by Iran, shows that the country cannot be isolated.
He noted that the important drill also showed high security in the northern tip of the Indian Ocean and that the countries in the region are capable of ensuring the security of maritime transport routes and trade and have no need for outsiders.
He noted that some Western countries have carried out destructive efforts as they are concerned that there is no reason for their unjustified presence in the region.
Last year, Iran and Saudi Arabia restored ties after seven years, brokered by China.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Riyadh earlier this month and held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a sign of warming ties between the two oil-producing countries.
Saudi Arabia has pivoted away from its reliance on US security support in recent years, turning toward other partners such as China, a key trade partner, and Iran and Russia, which are part of the OPEC+ oil production framework.
Riyadh has also been invited to join BRICS, an intergovernmental organization that is widely seen as a counter-balance to US hegemony.
This week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led a delegation from Riyadh to the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, which came against the backdrop of the US-Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Western media outlets have shown their frustration over the growing ties between Iran and regional Arab countries of the Persian Gulf region.
They say Saudi Arabia was open to forging stronger ties with the Israelis before the Tel Aviv regime aggression on Gaza in early October. Now, a year into the Israeli campaign of death and destruction in the besieged Gaza Strip, it is warming up to Iran.
An article published on the CNN website on Wednesday said growing unease over the United States’ inability to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East is prompting some of Washington’s closest Arab allies to significantly increase engagement with Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has time and again said his administration will prioritize bolstering ties with neighbors.
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