TEHRAN, Iran — The navies of Iran, Russia and China will hold military drills off the coast of Iran this week in a bid to boost cooperation, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

The three countries, which share a common desire to counter what they characterize as US hegemony, have held similar exercises in the region in recent years.

The drills “will begin on Tuesday in the port of Chabahar,” located in southeast Iran on the Gulf of Oman, the Tasnim news agency said, without specifying their duration.

“Warships and combat and support vessels of the Chinese and Russian naval forces, as well as the warships of Iran’s naval forces of the army and the Revolutionary Guards” are expected to participate, according to Tasnim.

The exercises will take place “in the northern Indian Ocean” and aim to “strengthen security in the region and expand multilateral cooperation between participating countries,” Tasnim said.

Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka will attend as observers.

China will deploy “a destroyer and a supply ship,” the Chinese Defense Ministry said on the WeChat social media network.

The Iranian army conducted drills in the same area in February to “strengthen defense capabilities against any threat.”

China played a key role in rekindling diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023.

Last week, Reuters reported that Russian missile specialists flew to Tehran around the time that Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel.

Since its establishment, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated that it is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran will not be bullied into negotiations, a day after US President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to the country’s top authority to negotiate a nuclear deal.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.