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,” is hosted by Iran’s Northern Fleet and involves elite units from the Iranian Navy, IRGC, and Law Enforcement Command.
A Russian naval vessel has already entered Iranian waters to begin the operational phase in the Imam Reza (AS) Maritime District. Military observers from other Caspian nations are present, further highlighting growing regional cooperation. Defense experts view this as a major geopolitical signal of Iran-Russia maritime alignment and a direct rebuttal to Western influence in regional waters. This unprecedented drill underscores rising multipolar power dynamics, boosting Tehran and Moscow’s call for autonomous regional security. The Caspian, once overlooked, is fast becoming a strategic stage in the global power competition.
