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Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Iran, Russia, and China conducted joint naval exercises<\/a> in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman on March 14. The war games, which reportedly involved more than 20 ships from the three countries, have been described by international media as a \u201cshow of force in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n Iranian state media launched<\/a> an extravagant display of propaganda campaign, clearly aimed at impressing a diverse audience, both domestically and internationally. This showcase comes at a time when the world perceives the regime to be engaged in a proxy war in the Middle East, adding significance to Tehran’s efforts to demonstrate strength and capability.<\/p>\n The United States and the regime have each captured several commercial vessels with links to the other in recent years, as the US has sought to enforce sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil, while Iran has sought to retaliate against the resulting confiscations. Just before the start of this week\u2019s naval exercises, the regime officially announced its own confiscation of an oil shipment that was bound from Kuwait to the US in January, when the tanker carrying it was seized by IRGC forces who rappelled onto the deck from helicopters.<\/p>\n The prospect of more intense and far-reaching cooperation between the three countries was arguably highlighted this week by Tasnim News Agency<\/a>, an outlet with close ties to the IRGC when its reporting on the joint naval exercises emphasized their proximity to \u201cthree of the world\u2019s five strategic straits\u201d and \u201ca crucial hub for energy and trade traffic globally.\u201d The Houthi harassment campaign in recent months has prompted many commercial carriers to avoid one of the five referenced straits, the Bab-el-Mandeb at the mouth of the Red Sea, while Tehran has at various times threatened to close off the Persian Gulf\u2019s Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Perhaps emboldened by the prospect of Iranian forces contributing to or supplementing their own attacks, the Houthis have steadily escalated while also making increasingly bold claims about their own capabilities. In fact, on March 15, the group claimed to have added a hypersonic missile<\/a> to its arsenal. This is highly dubious, not least because many prior Houthi missile launches have missed their target or been shot down by a US-led maritime security coalition, whereas advancement to hypersonic missiles would suggest corresponding, world-class capabilities for targeting and evading missile defenses.<\/p>\n In other recent statements, the Houthis have made much vaguer references to pending \u201csurprises\u201d in their military encounters with Western powers. Both this and the specific reference to hypersonic missiles are likely intended to give the impression that the Yemeni forces have access to a wide range of materials belonging to the Iranian regime. Tehran had previously claimed<\/a> to have developed endogenous hypersonic missiles \u2013 a feat otherwise attributed only to the US, China, and Russia.<\/p>\n Why Firmness Will Prevent War with #Iran<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/k4SwUpabzi<\/a><\/p>\n — NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n