China , Mar 09 (V7N)-The navies of Iran, Russia and China will hold military drills off the coast of Iran this week in a bid to boost cooperation, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

The three countries, which share a common desire to counter what they characterize as American hegemony, have held similar exercises in the region in recent years.

The drills "will begin on Tuesday in the port of Chabahar," located in southeast Iran on the Gulf of Oman, the Tasnim news agency said, without specifying their duration.

The exercises will take place "in the northern Indian Ocean" and aim to "strengthen security in the region, and expand multilateral cooperation between participating countries," Tasnim said.

Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka will attend as observers.

China will deploy "a destroyer and a supply ship", Beijing's defence ministry said on the WeChat social media network.

The Iranian army conducted drills in the same area in February to "strengthen defence capabilities against any threat."

END/MSS/AJ