Iran's warships to join in Russian military games

Two Iranian naval vessels have set sail for Russia to take part in a Russian military games, media reported on Sunday.

Iran's Peykan-class frigates from the navy's Caspian flotilla will also make a port call at Azerbaijan's Baku as part of their itinerary before reaching Russia, Xinhua reported.

The overseas mission would last 25 days, Commander of the navy's Caspian flotilla Rear Admiral Ahmad Reza Baqeri said.

On July 15, Russian and Iranian navy forces attended a joint exercise in the Caspian Sea.

The Russian fleet had berthed at Iran's northern port city of Anzali as part of programmes intended to boost military cooperation between the two countries.

Iran's Rear Admiral Afshin Rezaei Haddad said that the navies of five Caspian littoral countries were cooperating to secure it as the sea for peace, mutual respect and good-neighbourliness.

Over the past few years, Iran has sent several fleets with the same mission from the country's northern and southern waters to the high seas.

--IANS

ahm/vt