Iran, China and Russia launch annual joint naval drills as Trump upends Western alliances

CNN-March10th2025

Warships from Iran, China and Russia kicked off their annual joint exercises in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, showing off their military ties as US President Donald Trump upends longstanding Western alliances.

The “Security Belt-2025” drills, taking place near the Iranian port of Chabahar, is the fifth joint naval exercise Iran, China and Russia have held since 2019, according to Chinese state media.

Analysts have long seen the drills as a demonstration of the growing partnership among the three authoritarian powers as they seek to counterbalance US influence and challenge the Western-led global order.

But this year, the optics are even more pronounced as Trump disrupts the transatlantic alliance – a cornerstone of Western security for decades – by embracing Russia at the expense of Ukraine, and pushes Asian allies to pay more for US protection.

Asked about the drills on Sunday, Trump said he is “not at all” concerned about the show of force by the three US adversaries.

“We’re stronger than all of them. We have more power than all of them,” he told Fox News aboard Air Force One.

Concerns have been mounting in Washington about the emerging strategic partnership among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, which US lawmakers have described as an “axis of authoritarianism,” “axis of autocrats” and “axis of dictators.”