Iran, Russia to Conduct Joint Drills in the Sea of Oman 

This handout photo released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows boats maneuvering around a tanker vessel during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepahnews / AFP)

10:57-18 February 2026 AD ـ 01 Ramadan 1447 AH

TT

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 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.

https://english.aawsat.com/world/5242136-iran-russia-conduct-joint-drills-sea-oman

Russia, China, Iran deploy ships for joint exercises in Strait of Hormuz

Russian presidential aide says Moscow building ‘multipolar world order on the oceans’ as respons to Western domination

Kanyshai Butun  |17.02.2026 – Update : 17.02.2026

File Photo

ISTANBUL 

Russia, China and Iran have deployed naval vessels for joint exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday.

In an interview with the weekly Argumenty i Fakty, Patrushev said Russia is working to build a “multipolar world order on the oceans” in response to what he called Western hegemony.

“We will tap into the potential of BRICS, which should now be given a full-fledged strategic maritime dimension,” he said.

He added that the first BRICS naval exercise, dubbed “Will for Peace 2026,” was held in January in the South Atlantic and involved Russia, China, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

According to Patrushev, participating navies practiced coordinating efforts to protect trade routes, which he said are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

“The Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, where Russia, China, and Iran sent their ships, proved to be relevant,” he added.

The Maritime Security Belt is set to be hosted by Iran in mid-February in the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, one of the world’s most strategically important choke points, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The joint naval drills were first launched in 2019 at the initiative of Iran’s navy and have been held seven times since then.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/russia-china-iran-deploy-ships-for-joint-exercises-in-strait-of-hormuz/3832330