Top Iranian General Signals Balance of Power Shifting From West to East
The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has stated that signs point to a decline in the strength of the United States and its Western allies, and that the power balance is moving from the West to the East.
At a meeting on Monday in the Omani capital Muscat, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri spoke with Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Khamis al-Raisi, his Omani counterpart.
General Baqeri stated that the Persian Gulf and West Asia are two of the most delicate areas in the world, noting that the United States has been trying to demonstrate its strength in the international and local realms by exerting its power within the region lately.
He remarked that there is currently a change in the power dynamic from the West to the East, and that the future lies in the East and Asia.
The general announced that Tehran will be the host city for a major conference on the new world order, with several countries, including Oman, in attendance.
He commended the warm, amicable, and intimate ties between Iran and Oman, emphasizing the requirement for bolstered security collaboration along the mutual maritime frontier.
Major General Baqeri declared Iran’s readiness to devise a plan for joint intelligence operations and patrol duties in order to combat drug smuggling.
He praised the military partnership between Tehran and Muscat, and called for the Gulf nation to take part in collaborative naval drills with Iran.
The leader of Oman’s military forces emphasized that cohesion and unity among regional states will ensure safety throughout the area.
The Omani general praised the recent reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, expressing his belief that it will reduce foreign involvement in the area and bolster security in the region.
In recent years, Iran and Oman have conducted multiple joint naval exercises.
In December 2021, Iran and Oman conducted a joint military exercise within Iran’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, which was attended by the Iranian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
An agreement reached during joint military friendship commission sessions resulted in the ninth military exercise between Iranian and Omani naval forces.
In the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, the exercise was conducted in the presence of the heads and members of the joint military friendship commissions of both countries, supported by helicopters from both countries and Iranian drones.
The primary objectives of the naval exercises, in which several vessels from both countries took part, were to strengthen the bilateral relationship, execute diverse maritime training exercises, share knowledge, and enhance the proficiency of the naval personnel from both countries.
