Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani held separate meetings Saturday with Senior Naval Commanders from Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Myanmar on the sidelines of the MILAN 2026 international naval exercise in India, stressing the need to strengthen bilateral and multilateral maritime cooperation.
The meetings took place in the port city of Visakhapatnam, India, where Rear Admiral Irani met Commander‑in‑Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces Vice Admiral Mohammad Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Gharibi (photo), and Commander of Myanmar’s Navy Admiral Htein Win.
The discussions focused on expanding professional naval interactions, including joint exercises, exchange of training delegations, and enhanced use of technical and operational capacities.
The military officials underlined the strategic role of seas and maritime routes in economic development and sustainable security, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Issues such as counter‑piracy operations, protection of maritime lines of communication, search and rescue missions, and maritime crisis management were also discussed.
Rear Admiral Irani said Iran supports collective maritime security and regional cooperation, describing multinational naval drills as an effective platform for confidence‑building, operational coordination, and experience sharing among navies.
He reaffirmed the Iranian Navy’s readiness to expand professional engagement and actively participate in joint maritime initiatives.
India is hosting three major international maritime events from 15 to 25 February 2026 at Visakhapatnam, namely, the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026, and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs, scheduled to be conducted from 15 to 25 February 2026.
The MILAN 2026 exercise, one of the world’s major multilateral naval events, brings together naval task groups, vessels and military delegations from numerous countries with the aim of enhancing maritime cooperation and security in international waters.
In another development, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics of Iran Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh has said Tehran is pursuing a principled policy to expand relations with independent countries in West Africa, with particular emphasis on Burkina Faso.
According to the Defense Ministry on Monday, the Iranian Minister made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs of Burkina Faso General Celestin Simpore.
Highlighting the importance of Africa, especially independent African states, in Iran’s foreign and defense policy, the Minister stressed the need to strengthen ties with countries pursuing sovereign paths in the region.
