Iran, Oman to hold joint exercises in early winter

TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) – Iran and Oman have agreed to hold joint “rescue and relief” exercises off the coast of the port city of Bandar Abbas, southern province of Hormozgan, during the Iranian calendar month of Dey (December 21, 2012-Januaury 19, 2013), an Iranian Army general announced on Tuesday. Brigadier General Mostafa Salami made the remarks on the sidelines of the second round of the tenth meeting of Iran-Oman joint military committee which was held in Tehran on Tuesday. The first round of the meeting was held on Saturday. Salami also said that the two sides agreed to make preparations to hold major joint war games, send delegations to observe each other’s military exercises, exchange cadets, and exchange military delegations. On the purpose of the meeting, he said, “The two countries of Iran and Oman are located in a strategic region. A large proportion of the world’s energy (supplies) passes through this region, a fact which is highly important to the two countries. The meeting was (held) to help maintain the security of the region and enhance the two countries’ relations with regard to guarding the coastlines.”