PLA Navy warships for the first time docked in an Iranian port on September 20, 2014 as Beijing and Tehran prepared to conduct a series of joint naval drills.  The commander of Iran’s First Naval Zone, Admiral Amir Hossein Azad, said “Discussing and studying the two countries’ naval relief and rescue operations and drills, confronting sea incidents and accidents, and gaining the necessary technical preparedness, are among the actions to be practiced with the Chinese army forces. The voyage of the Chinese army’s fleet of warships for the first time in the Persian Gulf waters is aimed at joint preparation of Iran and China for establishing peace, stability, tranquility and multilateral and mutual cooperation.”