Recently, Iran announced that the Chinese, Russian and Iranian navies plan to conduct joint military Xi in the Persian Gulf. The plan has sparked widespread discussion in Iran, and the possibility of creating a so-called "China-Russia-Iran alliance" has attracted much attention.
According to reports, the possible formation of this "military alliance" has attracted the attention of major newspapers such as the Tehran Times. Although China, Russia and Iran maintain a good partnership, their relationship does not constitute an "alliance" in the traditional sense. Over the past few years, the three countries have held a number of joint naval military exercises, Xi Xi demonstrate the growing normalization of naval cooperation between them.
However, these joint exercises should not be over-interpreted or provoked to cause undue panic. The purpose of these activities is not only to cooperate in countering the actions of countries such as the United States and Israel on regional issues, but also to enhance strategic communication and mutual trust among the three countries. Domestically, therefore, there is no need to interpret this normalized military cooperation too much as an alliance.
Although there have been discussions in Russia and Iran about the "China-Russia-Iran alliance", and scholars have mentioned it from time to time, the reality does not support this idea. China has always pursued a non-aligned foreign policy, which means that it is unlikely to form alliances with other countries.
In fact, the upcoming joint military exercises are just one part of the intensified exchanges between China, Russia and Iran this year. With the escalation of the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli region and the continued attention of the international community, China and Russia need to show greater influence on this issue to form a certain degree of deterrence against the United States and Israel. As an important country in the region, Iran does not participate directly, but it plays an important role in the influence of China and Russia.
China's high-level recent visit to Iran and meetings with the leaders of Iran's major political parties underscored the growing ties between the two countries. The meeting not only helped strengthen bilateral relations, but also highlighted the importance that China attaches to Iran's role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Iran, as an important country in the Middle East, plays an indispensable role in geopolitics. China sees it as a key partner in the energy industry, and it is in China's national strategic interest to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. China's participation in joint maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf Xi aims to ensure security in the region, while also demonstrating the ability of the three countries to jointly maintain energy corridors. Recently, the frequency of diplomatic interaction between Russia and Iran has also increased. The Kremlin said that Raisi, Iran, at the invitation of Putin, will visit Russia on December 7 for face-to-face talks. This is Raisi's first visit to Moscow since the outbreak of the Russian conflict. Prior to his visit, the foreign ministers of Russia and the United States signed a joint statement on counter-sanctions in Moscow, aimed at jointly countering unilateral sanctions imposed by the West.
Although Russia and Iran have taken joint action against Western sanctions, it may not be realistic to see this relationship as an alliance. An alliance means shared responsibility for defense, but Russia is currently too busy dealing with its internal strife to assume such responsibility.
After considering all aspects, China, Russia and Iran do not urgently need to form an alliance. It seems to be in each other's interests for the three countries to maintain a consistent position on important issues rather than a formal military alliance. Therefore, while reference can be made to the alliance concept proposed by Iran, there is no need to overemphasize its importance.