Iran and Russia conducted three days of joint war drills in the Caspian Sea this week “in order to send a message to the United States” in the wake of its strikes on Tehran’s top nuclear sites, Iranian state-run media reported.

The three-day exercises—codenamed “CASAREX 2025” and held under the slogan “Together for a Safe and Secure Caspian Sea”—included the Iranian Navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, the Islamic Republic’s Law Enforcement Command, and the Russian Federation’s navy.

“The naval drills send a message on cooperation between Iranian and Russian armed forces to the United States weeks after it joined Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites,” Mehr News reported, noting that “Iran has sought to bolster its military capabilities following the U.S.-Israeli 12-day aggression.”

In the weeks since Israel and the United States jointly bombed Iran’s top three nuclear facilities, including the Fordow mountain bunker, Tehran has “sought backing from Russia and China to counter U.S. military and economic pressure,” according to the state-controlled publication.

The war exercises kicked off on Monday after Iran’s defense minister met with his Russian counterpart in Moscow “to discuss expanding military cooperation,” as both the United States and Israel have left open the possibility of further strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities should the Islamic Republic attempt to reconstitute its enrichment program.

Iranian defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on his Telegram channel that the meeting with Russia’s Andrey Belousov focused on “enhancing bilateral cooperation in the military and defense fields.”

Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, also held a “high-level meeting” on Monday with Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss “Tehran’s official message about regional and international issues.”

Iranian state press indicated that the regime is concerned that stalled diplomacy with the Trump administration could signal fresh attacks by either the United States or Israel.

The war drills and high-level diplomacy with Russia are part of a bid to deter further aggression and signal Moscow’s willingness to defend the Islamic Republic if war breaks out again.

Iran and Russia intended to use their joint exercises to demonstrate control over key areas in the Caspian Sea, which borders Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“This operation shows Moscow and Tehran’s capacity for maritime security and rescue operations, strengthening their control of the Caspian Sea region,” according to the risk assessment firm SpecialEurasia.

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