By Noureddine Omar | 2023-12-17

Iran's recently announced plan to hold joint naval exercises with China and Russia in Gulf waters is a clear sign that Tehran is planning to continue its provocative actions in the region, experts said.

Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Shahram Irani on December 1 revealed that Iran will hold naval exercises with China and Russia in Gulf waters in 2024.

Pakistan, Brazil, Oman, India, South Africa and some neighboring Caspian Sea countries were also invited as observers, he said.

Commenting on the decision, Saudi military expert Mansour al-Shehri said conducting military exercises in any region of the world amid major clashes and political tension would constitute an attempt to maintain unstable conditions.

It may even lead to the expansion of military operations, he said.

Creating regional conflict

Tripartite exercises have taken place in the past few years with the same players, al-Shehri said.

But they did not receive such major media attention in the past.

According to al-Shehri, the exercises, which Tehran says are aimed at ensuring the safety of the waterways, will conflict with the operations carried out by the United States and its allies to secure the Gulf region.

The joint operations, held under the guise of improving maritime traffic safety "will undoubtedly lead to friction with countries that have been for years ensuring maritime safety in coordination with the Gulf states," he added.

"Iran, which boasts in the media about supporting the Palestinian people and their cause, has not provided any significant aid or support to them since the beginning of the war in Gaza," Iranian affairs expert Fathi al-Sayed said.

Iran is going through the worst economic crisis in its history, and the countries where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has a presence are facing similar challenges, said al-Sayed, of the Middle East Center for Regional and Strategic Studies.

Therefore, it would be more beneficial if Iranian leaders would allocate the large amounts of money earmarked for the military exercises to helping Iranians and other people in the region, especially civilians in Gaza, he told Al-Fassel.

But, as usual, destabilizing policies are the IRGC's priority -- regardless of the cost, he said.

Provocative actions

Al-Sayed said Iran is "trying to remain in the political and media spotlight in any way possible, even if it means sowing tension and instability in the region."

After attempting to export the Islamic Revolution and sending weapons to a number of countries, Tehran "has begun exporting tension and instability," he said.

"Iran is behaving in the Gulf region as if it were its owner or sole de facto ruler," said Abdullah al-Ameri, a retired Emirati army officer.

"Despite the relative restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and the Gulf states, and the resumption of direct flights between Tehran and Riyadh, Iran is continuing its provocative actions in the Gulf waters," he told Al-Fassel.

Such exercises bear significant political and strategic connotations, especially since the waterways surrounding the Gulf are considered to be red lines in light of the Houthis' attacks on commercial vessels in the region, he added.

"Iran's insistence on carrying out the exercises means that it will undoubtedly exploit the freedom of movement in the Gulf waters to transfer more weapons and military equipment to its regional proxies," said al-Ameri.