TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Chinese naval destroyers have docked at Bandar Abbas port in Southern Iran.
The docking of the destroyers marked the first such visit in the history of both countries - a sign of renewed relations between China and Iran, according to Iranian media reports, quoted by AFP on Sunday.
The port is located across the Gulf of Bahrain, where the United States (US) Navy Fifth Fleet is based.
Iran's and China's navy is scheduled to hold a joint search-and-rescue exercise and a maritime incident drill, according to Adm. Hossein Azad of the Iranian Navy, as quoted by Iran's state media.
The Iranian Navy's profile in the international arena has been on the rise for the past couple of years - especially due to its' role in combatting piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
Iran and China has been working together to increase their economic and trading ties. In fact, China has become Iran's largest trading partner, with trade between both countries valued at over US$ 45 billion dollars despite ongoing economic sanctions imposed by a number of countries on Iran over its' controversial nuclear program.
China is a part of the a grouping known as P5+1 - which is comprised of the five members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and Germany - which is engaged in a series of ongoing negotiations with Iran to end the decades long crisis caused by Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
ANTARA