TEHRAN -- Iranian naval forces on Tuesday successfully executed photo exercises and tactical formation operations on the second day of joint naval drills with their Russian and Chinese counterparts. 
The three-day drills, codenamed the 2025 Maritime Security Belt, kicked off Monday in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.
Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajeddini, deputy operations commander of the Iranian Navy, said aerial photography exercises (Photo Ex) and tactical formations were successfully conducted on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise, he said all stages of the exercise were monitored and supervised by aerial reconnaissance carried out by helicopters from the Iranian Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Iran, he said, is committed to establishing security both regionally and globally, adding that the Navy will not allow any threats or incursions into the nation’s maritime borders.
Late Monday, the participating forces successfully conducted day and night shooting operations against aerial targets.
“Night and day shooting operations against aerial targets require coordination and detailed instructions,” Tajeddini said.
The drill this year differs from its previous editions in terms of the number of participating units and countries, and the extensive participation of airborne units, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft in the depth of the exercise zone, he said.
The Security Belt-2025 drill, taking place near the Iranian port of Chabahar, is the fifth joint naval exercise Iran, China and Russia have held since 2019.
Analysts have long seen the drills as a demonstration of the growing partnership among the three powers as they seek to counterbalance U.S. influence and challenge the Western-led global order.
But this year, the optics are even more pronounced as U.S. President Donald Trump disrupts the transatlantic alliance – a cornerstone of Western security for decades – by embracing Russia at the expense of Ukraine, and pushes Asian allies to pay more for U.S. protection.
Asked about the drills on Sunday, Trump said he is “not at all” concerned about the show of force by the three U.S. adversaries.
“We’re stronger than all of them. We have more power than all of them,” he boasted on Fox News aboard Air Force One.
Concerns have been mounting in Washington about the emerging strategic partnership among China, Russia and Iran whose shared opposition to American unilateralism is driving them countries to work together.
The drills also come amid heightened tension between U.S. and Iran.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has restored what he calls his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in a move denounced by Tehran as “bullying” tactics.
The Gulf of Oman is a crucial gateway connecting the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than one-quarter of the world’s seaborne traded oil passes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the joint naval exercises will involve 15 combat ships, support vessels and gunboats, as well as helicopters, according to state news agency TASS.
“The Russian side is represented by the Rezky and Russian Hero Aldar Tsydenzhapov corvettes, and the Pechenega tanker of the Pacific Fleet,” the ministry said.
China, meanwhile, deployed the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Baotou and supply ship Gaoyouhu from a nearby naval escort task force to take part in the exercise, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The drills, with an aim to “enhance military trust and strengthen practical cooperation,” include simulated strikes on maritime targets, visit-board-search-seizure operations and search and rescue drills, the ministry added.
Iran has sent a stealth missile corvette and a patrol ship, according to Iranian officials.