Warships from Iran, China and Russia kicked off their annual joint exercises in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, in a show of strengthening military ties as US President Donald Trump upends longstanding Western alliances.

A major military drill involving the naval forces of Iran, Russia, and China is currently taking place in the northern Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Oman. These exercises, which began on Tuesday, are being held to strengthen military cooperation and enhance regional security.

China, Russia, and Iran will hold the Security Belt 2025 joint maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman this month, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on March 9. Both China and Iran have supported Russia during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine,

President Donald Trump says he sent a letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a development that was not immediately confirmed by the supreme leader.

The United States has stopped allowing Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, making Iraq’s power problems even worse. This decision is part of the US government’s efforts to put pressure on Iran by cutting off its sources of money.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday condemned the United States for rescinding a waiver allowing neighboring Iraq to import gas from Iran.

Washington ends exemption for Iranian power imports, citing 'maximum pressure' strategy on Iraq - Anadolu Ajansı