Special to WorldTribune.com from EastAsiaIntel.com

For the first time in four decades, a Chinese naval flotilla has visited the Islamic Republic of Iran, as U.S. deterrence and its military presence in the region wanes.

In subsequent talks, the two navies’ leaders agreed to hold a joint exercise in the Persian Gulf, a vital waterway for global oil supplies.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet is based nearby in Bahrain.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla includes the Chinese naval vessel Changchun, which is a Type 052C guided missile destroyer, and Changzhou, which is a guided missile frigate.

The flotilla entered the Iranian port of Abbas on Sept. 20 and engaged with the Iranian navy for 5 days.

After meeting with the visiting Chinese flotilla’s commander, Iranian Navy chief Hussain Azad announced that the navies of China and Iran will conduct larger scale joint exercises in the Persian Gulf.

In March, an Iranian naval flotilla visited China for the first time. China has been attempting to increase its influence in the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf area.

China has significant control, via operating the Pakistani port of Gwadar, over the Gulf of Oman which is the entrance/exit region to the vital Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf through which much of the world’s oil flows.

  Changchun destroyer, China, Hussain Azad, Iran to conduct joint naval exercises in defiance of U.S. interests, PLAN flotilla