According to a tweet published by دریادار on January 17, 2024, "Peace and Friendship" naval group from Pakistan, which docked for three days in Bandar Abbas as part of the First Naval District of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy, conducted a joint maritime exercise with the Iranian Navy upon their departure.
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Iranian Sina class fast attack craft IRIS Zereh. (Picture source: دریادار)
This event aimed to enhance educational interactions, boost military exchanges, and facilitate meetings between Pakistani commanders and Iranian naval officials. The Pakistani contingent arrived with two training warships.
The one-day exercise, conducted in the strategic waters of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, involved various tactical maritime maneuvers. Both navies participated in operations such as checking communication and telecommunication circuits, emergency messaging practices at sea, formation of tactical configurations, and practicing signal communication with flags at sea. The joint exercise included missile-launching vessels, combat ships, and an SH helicopter from the Iranian Navy.
Navy Recognition comments
It is astonishing that this naval exercise should be taking place at a time when Iran has been bombing camps in Pakistani Baluchistan. However, the naval exercises had been planned for a long time, so Pakistan seemed to prefer to maintain them.
Context
These strikes, which Iran stated were aimed at the militant group Jaish al-Adl, resulted in the tragic death of at least two children and injured three more. This event has prompted strong condemnation from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which termed the act a violation of Pakistani sovereignty and an unacceptable breach of international law.
The timing of the attacks is notable, as it comes amidst a period of increased interactions between Pakistani and Iranian officials. Just hours before the air strikes, the Pakistani caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar had met with Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Furthermore, earlier in the week, discussions between Iran's special representative for Afghanistan affairs and Pakistan's interim Foreign Minister took place in Islamabad, focusing on regional stability.
The attacks have led to a diplomatic fallout, with Pakistan recalling its ambassador in Tehran and barring Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad from returning to Pakistan.
