TEHRAN -- Iranian and
Pakistani military forces have staged a day-long joint naval training exercise in the Strait of Hormuz and the northern tip of the Persian Gulf as the two neighbors move to enhance cooperation and forge stronger relations.
Combat vessels and missile-launching warships of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Pakistan Navy took part in the drills, which were held off the coast of the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Tuesday.
The main goals of the naval drills were described as elevating the level of training interactions and exchanges, promoting military relations and implementing bilateral maritime agreements.
Young officers and cadets of Iranian and Pakistani navies employed a raft of naval tactics through their maneuvers and exercised communication and interaction through various telecommunication systems.
They also practiced the transmission and reception of messages during emergencies at sea.
Iran and Pakistan have stepped up military cooperation in recent years and have held a number of joint naval exercises.
Last June, senior military commanders from Iran and Pakistan weighed plans for cooperation between the navies and air forces of the two neighbors.
Iranian Navy chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, who had traveled to Islamabad, held separate meetings with Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force Zaheer Ahmad Babar.
The Iranian Navy chief and his delegation were briefed on the Pakistani Navy’s professional activities in ensuring maritime security in the region, and the plans for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The Iranian and Pakistani commanders also discussed plans to promote cooperation between the navies of the two neighboring countries in various sectors, including training courses and the exchange of delegations.