Tasnim � Iran�s Navy Commander said a joint naval exercise with Russia and China is planned to be staged in the Indian Ocean in the coming weeks.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an exhibition of naval equipment on Saturday, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said the joint drill is going to be held in the Indian Ocean waters in the Iranian month of Day (December 22, 2019 - January 20, 2020).

Arrangements for the joint exercise were made among representatives of the three countries� navies last month, he added.

�The purpose of the war game is to ensure collective security and help strengthen security in the northern region of the Indian Ocean, which is witnessing incidents such as piracy,� the Iranian commander said.

On plans to dispatch naval fleets to faraway regions like the Gulf of Mexico, Khanzadi said the Iranian Navy is prepared for navigation in international waters around the world.

He stressed that Iranian fleets can travel to any port at the invitation of a friend country, be it a port in the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Finland.

The Navy chief had recently unveiled plans for the dispatch of a naval fleet to the Russian port city of St. Petersburg.

The Iranian fleet will reportedly travel more than 12,000 nautical miles to reach the Russian port and set a new record by cruising in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar, Atlantic Ocean, Strait of Dover, and Gulf of Finland.