An American think tank argues that the recent naval drill by Iran, Russia and China sends the message that the three countries are cooperating to “undermine the West” as this year’s drills are larger compared to the previous ones and came amid rising tensions in the Red Sea.

According to The Iran Project,“Iran, Russia, and China sent ships that gathered for a naval drill over the weekend. The drill continued this week and illustrates the growing cooperation between the countries. Russia, Iran, and China have conducted at least four naval drills in the past. However, this year’s are larger, and they come amidst rising tensions in the Red Sea and off the coast of Yemen”, Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies said in an analysis written by Seth J. Frantzman.

The analysis, citing reports by Russian, Chinese and Iranian media outlets, names the weapons and military equipment deployed during the trilateral drill called “Maritime Security Belt 2024” and held in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

“The dozen ships from the three countries conducted live-fire drills… These ships had been stationed off the coast of Yemen”, it said.

The article also refers to Iran’s joining groups such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which it said is part of Iran’s move to increase cooperation with Russia and China.

It terms this year’s trilateral drill as “important”, which “sends a message to Western powers.”

With the tensions rising in the Red Sea amid Yemen’s attacks on Israel-linked ships and US-UK strikes to confront the Arab country, the Maritime Security Belt 2024 drill shows Iran, Russia and China’s “cooperation with each other to undermine the West,” the article concluded.