In a striking show of regional power and coordination, Iran and Russia have launched CASAREX 2025—a large-scale joint search-and-rescue naval drill in the Caspian Sea. The three-day exercise, titled “Together for a Safe and Secure Caspian Sea,

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and his Iranian counterpart Aziz Nasirzadeh discussed strengthening military cooperation at a meeting in Moscow, the Russian state news agency RIA reported on Monday,

Russia sought to do this naval drill primarily to show it is still interested in joint cooperation with Iran. Iran and Russia began a naval exercise on Monday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China’s dependence on Iranian and Russian oil is a key issue in upcoming trade talks.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the next round of US-China talks could include a discussion of China’s purchases of Russian and Iranian oil, a signal that the focus could shift from more traditional trade issues to ones that cross over into matters of national security.

Naval forces from Iran and Russia begin joint military drills in the Caspian Sea, reflecting deepening ties between the two countries that come just weeks after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel and the collapse of nuclear talks with the United States.

Talks between Tehran and the US were being held through Omani mediators until Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered a 12-day war. The attack came just two days before a planned sixth round of negotiations in the Omani capital, Muscat.

"Strengthening air defense capabilities is clearly an urgent priority for Iran at the moment," expert Hongda Fan told Newsweek.