Joint maneuvers by Iran, China and Russia are scheduled to take place in mid-February in the northern waters of the Indian Ocean. As reported by the semi-official Tasnim agency, Tehran also announced the planned exercises using live ammunition on Sunday and Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping corridor leading to the Persian Gulf.
Where will the joint maneuvers of Iran, China and Russia take place?
What exercises is Iran planning in the Strait of Hormuz?
How many barrels of oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz per day?
What naval forces has the Trump administration sent to the region?
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic place for Iran and the US
The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the most demanding shipping lanes in the world. At its narrowest point, it is only 33 km wide, and tanker traffic takes place in two designated lanes, approximately 3 km wide, separated by a buffer zone. Even though the waters of the strait belong to Iran and Oman, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it is treated as an international shipping lane, which ensures freedom of passage for both civilian and military ships. However, Iran has repeatedly expressed opposition to this interpretation.
The economic importance of the region is enormous. One fifth of the world's oil trade flows through Hormuz, or about 20 million barrels a day. The strait is also the route for one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade, mainly exported by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran-USA conflict
The planned exercises are taking place in the context of the growing conflict with the United States, which intensified at the turn of December and January, when mass demonstrations took place in Iran and were brutally suppressed by the authorities. President Donald Trump's administration is pursuing a new nuclear deal with Tehran and has deployed naval forces to the region as part of the pressure. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and a strike group, including three landing ships, are stationed in the Persian Gulf region. President Trump suggested that if nuclear talks fail, the United States may consider using force.
