China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval drills starting Friday in the Gulf of Oman, Beijing said.

Set to take place from December 27 to 30, the military exercises aim to “deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the three countries”, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters Thursday.

Wu said the Chinese navy would deploy its Xining guided missile destroyer — nicknamed the “carrier killer” for its array of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles — in the drills.

But he did not give details on how many personnel or ships would take part overall.

China’s foreign minister said the exercises were part of normal military cooperation between the three countries.

Source: AFP