WANA (Oct 20) – The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) 2024 combined maritime exercise, aimed at strengthening security cooperation in the northern Indian Ocean region, concluded today with a naval parade of participating units passing in front of the Iranian destroyer Jamaran.

 

Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajeddini, Deputy of IRI Naval Operations, explained that “the exercise was planned based on the security challenges of the northern Indian Ocean. Despite certain challenges, the capabilities of the Iranian Navy and the IRGC naval forces have ensured that no security incidents have occurred in critical areas such as the Sea of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf. Our primary objective is to enhance coordination among regional countries to address security threats and promote humanitarian efforts at sea.”

 

He further noted, “On the first day, specialized sessions and coordination meetings were held between various naval units, and today, all units were deployed at sea and successfully completed all pre-scheduled missions.”

 

The IONS exercise featured the naval forces of Iran, Russia, and Oman, with participation from the Iranian destroyers Jamaran and Alborz, as well as missile-launching ships Zereh, Shahid Soleimani, Almas, and vessels from Oman and Russia.

 

The exercise was led by the Iranian Navy’s strategic command, with participation from the IRGC Navy, Iran’s Maritime Border Guard, and the Ports and Maritime Organization, as well as naval forces from Russia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Qatar, and Bangladesh.

 

Key scenarios included search and rescue operations, fire control, and oil spill containment, all aimed at improving preparedness to address non-traditional security challenges.

 

The IONS initiative was launched in 2008 by the Indian Navy to foster regional maritime cooperation and address emerging security threats in the Indian Ocean region.