The annual joint naval drills between Iran, Russia, and China will begin Monday at the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Sunday.

The exercise, named Security Belt-2025, will include drills on striking maritime targets, damage control, as well as joint search and rescue, according to an announcement by China’s Ministry of National Defence on its official Weibo account, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese fleet includes a destroyer and a supply ship. The drill aims to strengthen military mutual trust and foster pragmatic cooperation among the naval forces of the participating countries, the ministry said.

The development came days after US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, seeking to initiate dialogue on a nuclear deal. Khamenei, for his part, dismissed the offer, accusing Washington of seeking even greater restrictions than in previous negotiations.

This will be the fifth China-Iran-Russia joint naval exercise since 2019.

According to the Global Times, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert said joint exercises among China, Iran and Russia have become routine.

Song explained that the drill will mainly focus on training courses in non-traditional security fields.

Song said the exercise will take place off the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman, a crucial gateway between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, making it a strategic pathway crucial to energy shipping. Song added that the three countries participating in the drills have energy cooperation as well as important strategic interests in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

The ministry stated that they will send the destroyer Baotou and the replenishment ship Gaoyouhu from the navy’s 47th escort task group.

The Baotou is a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, and the Gaoyouhu is a Type 903A comprehensive replenishment ship. Before this drill, the two navy warships also took part in the AMAN-2025 multinational maritime exercise in Pakistan in early to mid-February.

According to Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that warships from the navy’s escort task groups to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia frequently participate in joint exercises with foreign countries.

The Type 052D destroyer and Type 903A replenishment ship form a flotilla capable of diverse military operations with strong combat power and endurance, Zhang said.