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Iran, Russia Launch Joint Naval Drills in Gulf of Oman

Are Iran's naval drills a threat to global security or a defense against Western hegemony?
Iran, Russia Launch Joint Naval Drills in Gulf of Oman
Above: Navy vessels taking part in a joint Iranian-Russian-Chinese military drill in the Gulf of Oman on March 12, 2025. Image credit: Iranian Army Office/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Iran narrative

Joint naval exercises between Russia, China and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and Indian Ocean strengthen regional security cooperation and protect vital commercial shipping lanes from external threats, building a multipolar maritime order that counters Western hegemony. These drills enhance coordination between sovereign nations to combat terrorism and ensure safe passage for trade, while the historic Russia-Iran strategic partnership demonstrates successful efforts to bypass Western sanctions through national currency transactions.

Anti-Iran narrative

Iran's live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz represent a direct threat to global shipping and energy security, with Tehran deliberately conducting exercises in critical trade lanes while tensions escalate over its nuclear program and brutal crackdown on protesters. The timing of these provocations, coinciding with U.S. diplomatic efforts and military buildup in the region, demonstrates Iran's refusal to negotiate in good faith and its willingness to weaponize a waterway carrying a fifth of the world's oil.

Metaculus Prediction


The Controversies



Go Deeper


Establishment split

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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0