Nader Pasandeh, the Director General of Maritime Safety and Protection of the Ports and Maritime Organization, referring to the holding of the regional exercise "Exercise Bravo – Caspian Sea 2026," stated: "This exercise was held from October 3 to 9, 2026 (11 to 17 Mehr 1405) under the management of the Islamic Republic of Iran and with the participation of Russia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan."

He added: "This event was carried out in line with enhancing the readiness of the Caspian Sea coastal countries to combat oil pollution in emergency conditions and developing regional cooperation for the protection of the marine environment."

The Director General of Maritime Safety and Protection of the Ports and Maritime Organization, stating that the planning of this exercise was carried out based on the annual program of the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention based in Geneva, clarified: "The evaluation and strengthening of regional protocols for oil pollution preparedness and response was among the most important objectives of this exercise."

Practicing Coordination of Coastal Countries in Emergency Conditions

Pasandeh continued: "In this exercise, a hypothetical oil pollution scenario in emergency conditions was implemented, and the processes of declaring a state of emergency, exchanging information, and requesting assistance among the maritime authorities of the participating countries were practiced and evaluated."

He added: "Iran, as the host and lead country of the exercise, by setting the schedule and informing the participating countries, sent a hypothetical request for assistance through electronic correspondence and standard oil pollution report forms (POLREP), and evaluated the process of receiving responses and the declaration of readiness of the region's countries."

According to the Director General of Maritime Safety and Protection of the Ports and Maritime Organization, the participating countries, by confirming receipt of the emergency message, also provided information regarding their level of readiness, equipment, facilities, and the capacity of the operational teams they could dispatch.

Emphasis on Transboundary Cooperation for the Protection of the Caspian Sea

Referring to the holding of the exercise's execution day on October 5, 2026 (13 Mehr 1405), Pasandeh stated: "This program was implemented under the management of the Ports and Maritime Organization and with the participation of the Caspian Sea coastal countries, and the participating countries declared their readiness to cooperate in the hypothetical oil pollution response operation and to support joint regional measures."

He emphasized: "The development of transboundary cooperation, the enhancement of operational coordination among coastal countries, and the strengthening of the capacity to respond to maritime incidents are among the requirements for the effective protection of the Caspian Sea environment."

The Director General of Maritime Safety and Protection of the Ports and Maritime Organization noted: "Holding such exercises can, by increasing operational readiness and strengthening joint cooperation mechanisms, play an effective role in managing potential oil pollution incidents and safeguarding the environment of the Caspian Sea."