Iranian and Omani naval forces plan to conduct joint naval exercises in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday. The announcement came after a meeting between Deputy Chairman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Rear Admiral Saleh Esfahani and senior Omani military official Brigadier General Hamd bin Rashid bin Saeed al-Balushi in Tehran on Saturday, Fars News Agency reported.
Balushi is heading a 12-member Omani military delegation on an official visit to Iran. The 12th Iran-Oman Military Friendship Group’s meeting opened in Tehran on Saturday and will conclude by holding joint naval drills on Wednesday. Iran and Oman have had vast cooperation in the military field and the two countries have already held several joint naval drills. In September 2013, Iran and Oman signed a memorandum of understanding to boost mutual cooperation in the defense sector. The MoU was signed by Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and Omani Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi in Tehran.
