TEHRAN -- The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces on Monday said there are indications that the power of the United States and its Western allies is waning and the balance of power is shifting from the West to the East.
Major General Muhammad Hussein Baqeri made the remarks in a meeting with his Omani counterpart Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Khamis al-Raisi in the Omani capital Muscat.
Baqeri described the Persian Gulf and West Asia as among the most sensitive regions in the world, saying that Americans have been projecting power across the region in recent years as part of efforts to impose themselves as the dominant actor in international and regional affairs.
“Nowadays, new signs of a shift in the balance of power from the West to the East are emerging. It should be noted that the future belongs to our region and Asia,” he said.
The general said Tehran is going to host a major conference on the new world order to be attended by several countries, including Oman.
He praised the cordial, friendly and close relations between Iran and Oman, stressing the need for stronger security cooperation along the common sea border.
Major General Baqeri also expressed Iran’s preparedness to draw up a program for joint intelligence activities and patrol missions in the fight against drug trafficking.
He lauded the military cooperation between Tehran and Muscat, inviting the Persian Gulf kingdom to participate in joint naval exercises with Iran.
The chief of staff of Oman’s armed forces stressed that unity and solidarity among regional states will guarantee security throughout the region.
The Omani general also hailed the recent reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in an agreement brokered by China, stating that the rapprochement would prevent foreign interference in the region and improve regional security.
Iran and Oman have held several joint naval drills in recent years.
In December 2021, the Iranian navy and the royal navy of Oman held a joint military drill in Iran’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.
The military exercise, which was the ninth of its kind between the Iranian and Omani naval forces, was conducted in line with an agreement reached during sessions held by the two countries’ joint military friendship commissions.
The exercise, backed by helicopters from both countries and Iranian drones, was held in the presence of the heads of the joint military friendship commissions of the two countries and their members in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.
The main goals of the naval drills, held with the participation of several floating units from both countries, were declared as developing bilateral ties, implementation of various training programs at sea, exchanging experiences, and improving the efficiency of the two countries’ naval staff.