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A Russian vessel sails next to an Iranian vessel in False Bay, near the Simon’s Town Naval base, on the last day of the BRICS Plus countries, which include China, Russia and Iran, for a joint naval exercise in South Africa’s waters, in Cape Town, South Africa, January 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Iran and Russia will conduct naval manoeuvres in the Sea of Oman on Thursday (February 19, 2027), following the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva, Iranian media reported.
On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to U.S. naval forces deployed in the region.
“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,” the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo.
“The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,” he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.
The war games come as Iran struck an upbeat tone following the second round of Oman-mediated negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday.
Previous talks between the two foes collapsed following the unprecedented Israeli strike on Iran in June 2025, which sparked a 12-day war that the United States briefly joined.
US President Donald Trump has deployed a significant naval force in the region, which he has described as an “armada.”
Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, particularly during periods of tension with the United States, but it has never been closed.
A key passageway for global shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas, the Strait of Hormuz has been the scene of several incidents in the past and has returned to the spotlight as pressure has ratcheted amid the US-Iran talks.
Iran announced on Tuesday that it would partially close it for a few hours for “security” reasons during its own drills in the strait.
ap/ris/jsa
Published – February 18, 2026 09:17 pm IST
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Iran, Russia to conduct joint drills in the Sea of Oman
