KARACHI - The AMAN Exercises will start from 7 to 11 February. This time its importance has increased because for the first time a peace dialogue (AMAN Dialogue 2025) is also being organized. 120 delegations from 60 countries including Pakistan, Iran, and China will be part of these naval exercises. These exercises are held every two years. The last exercise was held in 2023 and 50 countries participated in the exercise. When these exercises were first held in 2007, 28 countries participated, but the number is gradually increasing.

The North Arabian Sea and its vicinity are of great importance to Pakistan, Iran and other nearby countries.

The reason for holding these exercises is to jointly face and combat traditional and non-traditional threats such as maritime terrorism, smuggling, piracy, (exploitation of EEZ resources), etc.

The motto of these exercises and Peace Dialogue 2025 is "together for peace” and the chiefs and officers of the navies, coast guards and defense forces of different countries will participate. Discussions will be held on strategic issues as well as mutual issues.

To make Peace Dialogue 2025 more effective, different phases have been planned, from seminars to bilateral meetings, so that through this dialogue, military officers of different countries listen and understand each other's points of view on various issues.

Pakistan has very positive ideas about the arrival of the Iranian Navy and for this reason the Chief of the Pakistan Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, has expressed satisfaction over the participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the international naval exercise "AMAN (Peace)-25" which would be held at the port of Karachi in February.

He said the Pakistani-Iranian navies have “constructive relations, and we are eager to promote cooperation with our neighboring and brotherly country.” He added, “We have a lot to learn from each other's experiences in the maritime domain, and keeping in mind the upcoming AMAN-25 exercises, the Pakistan Navy is optimistic about establishing strong relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran through bilateral and multilateral exercises.”

Iran participated in the Pakistan Navy's AMAN exercises from 2007 to 2023 primarily as an observer. Senior delegations from Iran attended the exercises.

Close collaboration exists between the two navies which includes joint naval exercises in the North Arabian Sea by PNS Babur from Pakistan and Jamaran from Iran.

Port calls by Navy ships to each other ports are also common such as PNS Zulfiqar port call to Bandar Abbas port. Maritime Security Cooperation can be gauged given that Pakistan and Iran have a common understanding of maritime security cooperation, including joint patrols and intelligence sharing. Maritime conferences on the sidelines of Exercise AMAN also provide a very potent platform for discussing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, counter-piracy and counter-terrorism at sea, maritime cooperation and regional stability, etc. Senior Iranian Navy officials attended the AMAN exercise and conference in Pakistan in which matters related to Maritime Security and Stability in the Indian Ocean Region, Maritime Cooperation and Capacity Building, Maritime Domain Awareness and Information Sharing were deliberated and discussed for subsequent formulation of guidelines and SOPs for better inter-operability in sea. 

The AMAN Dialogue, a cornerstone of the Exercise AMAN, is a seminal event that brings together chiefs of Navies and Coast Guards from around the world, fostering a comprehensive discussion on maritime security challenges and opportunities.

It is Organized by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA, the premier maritime think tank of Pakistan and a co-opted member of the National Security Division for rendering maritime-centric advice to the Government of Pakistan.

 The objectives of Exercise AMAN and "AMAN Dialogue 2025” encompass promoting peace and regional cooperation while enhancing interoperability with both regional and extra-regional navies, thereby acting as a bridge between diverse regions. These exercises aim to display a united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain, fostering a deeper understanding

of the maritime security issues and challenges that the region confronts, as well as their interconnections with the Blue Economy. Additionally, they seek to showcase the potential contributions of the Blue Economy towards the overall economic growth of participating countries.

Muhammad Mehdi is chairman of the Institute for International Relations and Media Research. 

Commander Anees Muhammad Khan is a senior researcher at Pakistan’s National Institute of Maritime Affairs.