Tasnim – Senior Iranian military commanders held separate meetings with foreign military officials attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) 2018 in Tehran for talks on naval cooperation and international issues.


The IONS 2018, attended by high-ranking delegations from 35 countries, began on Monday morning with an opening speech by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri.

Iran officially assumed presidency of the symposium for two years with the launch of the event.

In the evening, Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi held separate meetings with the commander of Bangladesh’ Navy, lieutenant commander of Turkey’s Navy, commander of the Russian Navy’s southern military district, and head of China’s military delegation to discuss closer cooperation in various naval fields.

In another gathering, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi and Pakistan’s Navy Commander Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi discussed ways to enhance military cooperation between the two neighbors.

The Iranian commander also expressed the hope that the IRGC naval forces would take part in a joint naval drill that Iran and Pakistan are going to launch this year.

Another meeting between Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman Rear Admiral Abdullah Bin Khasim Bin Abdullah Al Raisi and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Internal Affairs Brigadier General Qadir Nezami revolved around regional cooperation, collective action for settlement of conflicts, and military interaction to ensure stability and security in the region.

The IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.