Joint Naval Exercise will be held in December by Iran, Russia and China

The commander of Iran's navy has confirmed that his forces will participate in joint exercises with Russia and China beginning later this year.

Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi on November 30 said the maneuvers will be held in the northern Indian Ocean from December 22 to January 20.

"The aim of those exercises is to ensure collective security and help boost the security in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, where various incidents, including pirate attacks, are taking place," Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted the admiral as saying.

Two days earlier, Khanzadi had said the exercises would take place in the “near future” and that the joint operation would “send a message to the world,” according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

“A joint wargame between several countries, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, indicates a remarkable expansion of cooperation.”

'[The maneuvers] carry the same message to the world, that these three countries have reached a meaningful strategic point in their relations,” he added.