Al Jazeera: China, Iran, and Russia to Hold Joint Military Exercises, Targeting US Aircraft Carrier Battle Group!
In recent days, the international public opinion has been closely following a piece of news. According to Al Jazeera, from February 1st to 2nd, the navies of China, Iran, and Russia will hold joint military exercises in the waters from the Gulf of Oman to northern Indian Ocean. This time and place are no coincidence. Because in the same area, the U.S. "Lincoln" aircraft carrier strike group is moored in the Arabian Sea, just hundreds of nautical miles away from the exercise area; meanwhile, the White House is also considering options for a new round of military strikes against Iran.
Over the past month, the U.S. military actions in the Middle East have clearly escalated. At the beginning of February, the "Lincoln" completed its transoceanic deployment and entered the eastern part of the Gulf of Oman; B-1B strategic bombers were deployed to the Udeid Air Base in Qatar; the U.S. has also rarely asked non-combat personnel to evacuate from the base - this is usually a standard operating procedure before the outbreak of conflict. All these signs indicate that Washington is seriously considering the option of military action, at least creating a high-pressure situation to try to force Iran back to the negotiation table.
But at this moment, China, Russia, and Iran have chosen to publicly announce the joint military exercises. This is not an ordinary routine training. Geographically, the Gulf of Oman is adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz - nearly one-third of global maritime oil passes through here, and it is also a necessary passage for U.S. aircraft carriers entering and exiting the Persian Gulf. The choice of this location means setting up a stage right at the doorstep of the U.S. aircraft carrier.
Foreign media are all speculating: Is the presence of China and Russia at this time a show of support for Tehran, or a signal to Washington? Since 2019, the three countries have held four "Security Bond" series of exercises, but previously they were mostly in symbolic waters. If this time they directly enter the strategic throat area, it indicates that the three sides have made substantial progress in tactical coordination, communication compatibility, and command coordination, and may potentially confront the U.S. military. Currently, neither China nor Russia has publicly confirmed this information.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1855709314104320/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.