Tehran, Dec 29 (IANS): Major military exercises underway in international waters to the south of Iran are to show the world that the region was safe and secure, Iran’s navy chief said Monday.

“The Sea of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz are among the most significant waterways in the world” and the world’s economy is dependent on them, Press TV quoted Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying in an interview with Iranian Arabic-language news network al-Alaam.

“Therefore these regions need full security and stability.”

“By staging the war games, we give everybody assurances that the region enjoys security and nobody can disrupt it,” the navy chief said.

Iran’s Army is currently performing massive military drills codenamed Mohammad Rasoulallah.

The joint manoeuvres by the Iranian army’s ground, naval and air force are logistically supported by Khatam al-Anbia Air Defence Base and cover an area of 2.2 million sq km stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the southern parts of the Gulf of Aden.

“The drill has a message of friendship and peace for all neighbouring countries in the region and even extra-regional countries” and showed Iran’s will to ensure security for itself and for the regional countries under the banner of Islamic unity, Sayyari added.

He also called on other countries which have commonalities with Iran to join forces with the Islamic republic to improve security in the region, saying, “we don’t need the presence of foreign forces” to establish security in the region.

The Islamic republic has frequently announced that its military might posed no threat to other countries, stating that its defence doctrine was based on deterrence.