The news that China, Russia, and Iran will hold joint naval military exercises in Xi the Persian Gulf immediately sparked discussions about the "China-Russia-Iran alliance." Some eagerly await the formation of such a military alliance, and even fantasize about drawing North Korea into it to form "the most powerful military alliance in the world." However, in fact, China, Russia and Iran are currently only partnerships, not alliances. Although this military exercise has attracted a lot of attention, in fact, this is not the first time that the three countries have held a joint naval military exercise. In the past year, China, Russia and Iran have held three similar military exercises. It can be said that this has become a normalized mechanism. So, what exactly does this exercise mean?Will it have a significant impact on the international situation?
First, the purpose of the exercise is not just to deter the United States, but to strengthen strategic communication and mutual trust among the three countries. Should we over-interpret this military exercise?In fact, some Russian and Iranian scholars are often keen to discuss the topic of the "China-Russia-Iran alliance", hoping to use China's power to ease domestic and foreign pressures. But in fact, China has always firmly pursued a foreign policy of partnership and non-alignment, so it has no intention of forming alliances with any country. Does this military exercise mean the formation of a "China-Russia-Iran alliance"?Or is it just a normalized form of military cooperation?Perhaps, we should look at this incident rationally and not over-interpret the political intentions in it.
China, Russia and Iran held joint military exercises, and the outside world has speculated whether they will form a military alliance. In fact, this military exercise is only part of the intensified interaction between Russia and Iran. With the recent tensions in the Middle East, do China and Russia need to show more influence on this issue?Iran, as a regional country as well as an indirect stakeholder, seems to be very important to both China and Russia. Recently, a high-level Chinese delegation visited Iran and met with leaders of major political parties in Iran. During the meeting, the Chinese side emphasized that the exchanges between China and Iran at all levels and in all fields, from political party to political party, from political to local, from political economy and trade to cultural tourism, are becoming increasingly close, which is conducive to promoting the further development of bilateral relations.
In addition, China also attaches importance to Iran's influence in the affairs of the Middle East and supports Iran in playing an active role in the region and promoting peace and stability in the region. As one of the major powers in the Middle East, Iran's geopolitical role cannot be ignored. Moreover, Iran is also an important country in China's Middle East energy imports, and it is in line with China's national strategic interests to further develop cooperative relations with Iran. This may also explain why it has traveled all the way to the Persian Gulf to hold joint maritime military exercises with Russia and Iran Xi maintain security in the region while demonstrating the ability of the three sides to defend energy corridors. In addition to China and Iran, recent diplomatic interactions between Russia and Iran have become more frequent.
The Kremlin recently confirmed that at the invitation of Putin, Raisi will visit Russia on December 7, when the leaders of the two sides will hold face-to-face talks. It is worth mentioning that this is Raisi's first visit to Moscow since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and his last visit to Russia was in January last year. Will Russia and Iran join hands to meet the challenges of the situation in the Middle East?Does this joint military exercise mean that they will form a military alliance?We'll see. Russia and Iran have joined forces to deal with Western unilateral sanctions, but will there really be an alliance?In the face of unilateral sanctions, is it necessary for China, Russia and Iran to form an alliance?If there is an alliance, does this mean a mutual defense obligation?
After all, at the moment Russia is busy with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, does it have extra energy to take on this obligation?Compared with the so-called "China-Russia-Iran alliance," it is obviously more in each other's interests for the three parties to partner but not form an alliance and maintain a consistent attitude on major issues. Therefore, as for the alliance that the Iranian side is currently mentioning, we can just listen to it and not pay too much attention to it.