Amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, with traditional transatlantic alliances faltering, the authoritarian axis formed by China, Russia, and Iran begins its annual military exercises. For the fifth consecutive year, warships from these three countries are gathering starting this Monday in waters near the Iranian port of Chabahar, in the Gulf of Oman.
These maneuvers between Chinese, Russian, and Iranian forces coincide this week with a diplomatic marathon in the Middle East: U.S. and Ukrainian delegations will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while the Russian military intensifies pressure on Kiev following its recent advances in the Kursk region. Washington will also be present at a negotiation table in Doha to discuss a second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
From Beijing, where Chinese leaders continue to hold their annual political conclave, presenting the Asian superpower as a major defender of global stability, they have dispatched a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer and a Type 903 comprehensive supply ship to the Gulf of Oman. Both vessels participated in a maritime exercise in February with the Pakistani navy.
"The 2025 Security Belt exercise will include training courses that involve attacking maritime targets, damage control, and joint search and rescue operations," reads a statement from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
"The exercise will take place in a crucial gateway between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, making it a crucial strategic route for energy transportation," says Song Zhongping, a military analyst from Beijing. In early March, ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet, including two corvettes, conducted artillery exercises in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean.
The new maneuvers, especially when viewed in conjunction with all current global turbulence, with U.S. President Donald Trump turning towards Moscow and breaking with a European Union that has begun a race for historic rearmament, once again expose the strong relationship between China, Russia, and Iran.
China has long been supporting the economy of the Islamic Republic, shaken by international sanctions, by purchasing Iranian oil at a discount of up to 25%. The government of Xi Jinping extended the same economic lifeline to Russia (also heavily buying Urals crude) after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Tehran, during the more than three years of war, has been supplying weaponry to Moscow, from drones to short-range ballistic missiles.
A few days ago, Iranian authorities confirmed reports published by several Western media outlets that the U.S. and Russia, following their rapprochement at the February summit in Saudi Arabia, had discussed Iran's nuclear program. After the meeting between representatives from Washington and Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Iran, and last week he also appeared in Beijing. A Kremlin spokesperson stated that Putin had offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington in nuclear arms talks.
On Sunday, the U.S. intensified pressure on Iran by ending a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to purchase electricity from its neighboring country. This waiver was introduced in 2018 when Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran after Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement negotiated during Barack Obama's presidency. "The decision not to renew the waiver was made to ensure that Iran is not granted any degree of economic or financial relief," the State Department said in a statement.
Last week, Trump told Fox News that he had written a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which he said, "There are two ways to deal with Iran: militarily or by making a deal. I would prefer to make a deal because I do not seek to harm Iran."
In addition to the military exercises between China, Russia, and Iran in the Gulf of Oman, which will last until Thursday, on Monday, war games have also shifted to the Pacific, where the U.S. military and South Korea have begun their annual military maneuvers. These exercises are primarily aimed at enhancing joint preparedness against the threat from North Korea.