1
1 JULY 2025
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE. DISTRIBUTION IS UNLIMITED.
This paper is the rst in a new series by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, G-2,
Foreign Military Studies Oice that assesses the contours of the emerging alliance of the United
States’ four primary adversaries: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (CRINK). Based on open-
source research, this ‘CRINK Alliance Project’ oers analysis of how this axis is disrupting or
reshaping the Operational Environment. Its purpose is to help military leaders and policymakers
discern whether, how, and when these countries’ interests align and diverge; anticipate potential
friction points; and seize opportunities to counter their joint efforts to threaten the United
States and its interests.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The March 2025 “Security Belt-2025” trilateral naval exercises between China, Russia,
and Iran were largely intended to signal unity and strength to deter U.S. inuence in
the Middle East despite the countries’ diering priorities and needs, security goals,
and aims for the exercises.
• The exercises highlight the enhanced military and naval expeditionary capabilities
under development by China, Russia, and Iran, as well as demonstrate the potential
for coordination at greater scale and range in future conicts even though current
naval interoperability remains limited.
• Future such multilateral exercises by U.S. adversaries could complicate U.S. operations
in key regions and near strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz, because of
their focus on creating asymmetric deterrence and strategic ambiguity.
U.S. Adversaries’ Trilateral Naval Exercises Reect
Convenience, Not Convergence
INTRODUCTION
In early March 2025, China, Russia, and Iran conducted their annual trilateral naval exercise, Security
Belt-2025, in the Gulf of Oman, a crucial corridor connecting the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean via
the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes.
1
These drills—the seventh
since their inception in 2019—have typically focused on counterpiracy, maritime security, and rescue
operations. However, they have grown in scale to now include simulated strikes and naval maneuvers,
