Russia, China, and Iran have announced a major naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman, very close to the Persian Gulf. According to Chinese, Russian, and Iranian media, the objective is to demonstrate to the world how strategically close and united these three nations are.

The Port of Chabahar is located in south-eastern Iran, around 100 km east of the Strait of Hormuz and not far from the Port of Gwadar in Pakistan, which China considers as a crucial link between the Belt and Road Initiative and its Maritime Silk Road Initiative.