TEHRAN — Noting that the era of the U.S. dominance in the region has come to an end, Iranian Navy Chief Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi on Sunday invited all regional countries to join the Iran-Russia-China naval drill and the regional coalition.

“The security of our region will be definitely established by regional countries and hereby we invite all regional countries to join this convergence and regional coalition for the next rounds,” Khanzadi said, Mehr reported.

The era of dominance of the Americans and their partners over the region has ended and they need to leave the region immediately, the navy chief suggested.

Khanzadi made the remarks on the sidelines of the Iran-Russia-China joint maritime drill, codenamed “Marine Security Belt”.

He said various phases of the tactical drill have been successfully carried out so far.

Iran believes that maritime security is an issue that needs to be worked on collectively by countries with maritime capabilities, he stated.

The Navy chief emphasized that a new level of the development of relations and cooperation between the three countries at the highest level is being displayed by the naval exercise.

Khanzadi said holding such naval exercise, which is aimed at providing security in the region, indicates that the participant countries have managed to cooperate successfully in other spheres.

Navy chief Khanzadi says Iran, Russia and China set the bold lines for both the region and the world by showing their cooperation not in a separate movement but in a coalition.

He said Iran, Russia and China set the bold lines for both the region and the world by showing their cooperation not in a separate movement but in a coalition.

“Regional countries and our friends enthusiastically followed the joint military drills,” he said, adding that good media coverage came from both inside and outside the country.

Naval forces of Iran, Russia and China kicked off a large-scale maritime exercise in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman on Friday morning. The joint military exercise is viewed by some analysts as a show of power and solidarity between Iran and the great powers of China and Russia in the face of pressure by Washington.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a post on his Twitter account on Friday, highlighted the importance of the naval drill, saying Tehran’s Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) is still on the table.

“Iran has long stated its readiness to work w/our neighbors to secure the Persian Gulf. #HOPE-Hormuz Peace Endeavour-is on table right now,” the top diplomat wrote.

Addressing the UN General Assembly late in September, President Hassan Rouhani unveiled Iran's new initiative for the establishment of peace and security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

“The goal of the Coalition for Hope is to promote peace, stability, progress and welfare for all the residents of the Strait of Hormuz region, and to enhance mutual understanding and peaceful and friendly relations amongst them,” Rouhani told the delegates at the UN.

MH/PA