Naval Flotilla Docks at Russian Port

An Iranian naval flotilla, comprised of a homegrown destroyer and a missile-launching vessel, berthed at Russia's coastal city of Makhachkala, the capital city of the Republic of Dagestan, for an unofficial visit. The naval watercraft had set sail for the Russian port in Caspian Sea on Tuesday, Tasnim News Agency reported. Damavand destroyer and Darafsh missile-launching vessel were welcomed by a number of Russian military vessels of the Caspian flotilla, including Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich, and Velikiy Ustug, according to Iran's Ambassador in Moscow Mehdi Sanaei. This is the third "friendly port call" the Iranian naval forces have made at Russian naval bases over the past four years. In October 2016, a Russian flotilla of warships arrived in Iran's Caspian Sea territorial waters near the northern port city of Bandar Anzali. Iran and Russia have formed a strong alliance in recent years, with both supporting the Syrian government against foreign-backed militancy.