China supports regional naval alliance plan

China pledges to strive for peace and stability in West Asia, including Persian Gulf, by promoting plans for a regional maritime alliance.

A question regarding Iran’s intention to create a naval alliance with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Persian Gulf nations that will also include India and Pakistan to protect regional stability was addressed by Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Speaking at regular press briefing, Wang also noted that “upholding the peace and stability of the Persian Gulf region in the Middle East (West Asia) bears on the wellbeing of countries and people in the region.”

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of the Iranian navy, had announced earlier that Iran will create new intra- and extra-regional partnerships to improve security.

“Today, regional countries have realized that the establishment of security in the region requires synergy and cooperation,” Irani stressed.

The Chinese spokesperson stressed the vital importance of peace and stability in the region at the news conference in order to preserve world peace, accelerate global economic growth, and maintain a steady supply of energy.

“China supports regional countries in resolving disputes and cultivating good-neighborliness and friendship through dialogue and consultation,” Wenbin added.

Beijing, he declared, will continue to contribute positively and constructively to the cause of regional peace and stability.

US authorities were not pleased with Admiral Irani’s announcement of the formation of a joint naval alliance.

Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for the 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, purportedly said that Iran’s participation in a regional naval alliance defies reason and that the Islamic Republic is the primary cause of maritime instability in the Persian Gulf region.

The parameters of the regional alliance are taking shape a year after the Israeli regime claimed that it, along with the United States and regional Arab allies, would form a Middle East NATO to fight Iran's dominance in the region.

American and Israeli military leaders touted the notion ahead of President Joe Biden’s July visit to West Asia.

The goal was to improve cooperation among allies in order to defend each other against envisioned Iranian threats.

Israel’s hopes for a coalition against Iran, however, have been dashed as a number of Persian Gulf Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, have started to change their allegiances and normalize ties with Iran.

Iran has recently made maritime breakthrough that can shake the US position in the world including the 86th Naval Fleet, which included the home-built Dena Destroyer, and came home last month after the first round of the world in a mission dubbed 360-Degree.

The flotilla sailed across the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans without needing assistance from land for the first time in Iran’s naval history.

It departed from Bandar Abbas, a port city on the Persian Gulf, on September 20, 2022. It finally anchored at Oman’s Salalah harbor on the 236th day of its journey. The flotilla traveled 63,000 kilometers and four times crossed the equator.

Last month, Admiral Farhad Fattahi, the commander of Iran’s 86th Naval Fleet, outlined achievements of the flotilla after a round-the-world voyage.

Admiral Fattahi emphasized that the first achievement of the voyage can be mentioned as the design, production and operationalization of the all-Iranian meteorological software, which was developed by Iranian youths in the army and yielded fruitful results.

“Secondly, we have proven that the Iranian products are totally trustworthy and reliable. It means that the Dena destroyer is an Iranian product that is 100% reliable,” he added.

The admiral continued, “Given the maritime diplomacy, one of the achievements is that the flotilla docked in the port of Rio de Janeiro to mark the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and Brazil.”

“Another remarkable achievement is that Iran’s flag was waved in the world’s four major oceans, seven seas and seven strategic straits,” he noted.

The admiral also said that a unique phenomenon emerged in the cultural sphere as the flotilla’s commanders and staff were representatives of Iranian-Islamic cultural values.

Admiral Fattahi remarked that during the mission, we used the home-built Dena destroyer, whose capabilities grabbed the attention of other countries’ naval commanders and forces. This came as no surprise that all naval commanders expressed congratulations over building such a military feat.