News - Middle East: The combined Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise “IMEX 2024,” has begun in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf with the participation of various units from several member states and observers.

Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajeddini, the spokesman of the joint naval drill, said the exercise, hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, naval division of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, started in the First Naval Region of the Iranian Navy in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday.

He added that naval forces from several foreign countries like Bangladesh, India, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand have taken part in the maritime exercise along with their Iranian counterparts.

Tajeddini noted that the combined IONS IMEX 2024 naval exercise would include specialized meetings and workshops in order to transfer expertise to the participating forces.

He stated that units taking part in the joint naval drill will play out various scenarios such as fire control, search and rescue operations as well as oil spill recovery and clean-up methods.

Tajeddini said the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium started in 2008 at the initiative of the Indian Navy to increase maritime cooperation on how to deal with non-conventional and organized security challenges.

He said the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, along with the Indian Navy, is in charge of two security committees and a humanitarian response committee.

The IMEX 2024 naval exercise is held under the motto of “Together for a safe and secure Indian Ocean”, Tajeddini said. It carries the message of peace, friendship, empathy and collective participation.

The IONS features 24 Indian Ocean littoral states, which gather biennially for multilateral meetings and naval exercises.

It seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies and provide a forum for discussion of regional maritime issues and the promotion of friendly relationships.

Press TV