Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri meets with Turkish Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar in Tehran, Iran October 2, 2017. (Reuters)

According to the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, there are signs that the US and its Western allies' dominance is declining and the balance of power is changing from the West to the East.

Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri made the statements on Monday during a meeting with his Omani counterpart Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Khamis al-Raisi in Muscat, the Omani capital.

The Gulf and West Asia regions, according to Baqeri, are among the most sensitive locations in the globe, with Americans exerting power across the region in recent years as part of attempts to establish themselves as the dominant actor in international and regional affairs.

“Nowadays, new signs of a shift in the balance of power from the West to the East are emerging. It should be noted that the future belongs to our region and Asia,” the general said.

Baqeri mentioned that Tehran would host a significant conference on the new international order, which will be attended by a number of nations, including Oman.

He lauded Iran and Oman's warm, friendly, and close relations, emphasizing the necessity for enhanced security cooperation along their common maritime border.

Major General Baqeri also explained that Iran is willing to develop a program for cooperative intelligence and patrol operations in the battle against drug trafficking. He praised Tehran-Muscat military ties and invited the Gulf nation to engage in joint naval drills with Iran.

Al-Raisi: Regional solidarity will ensure regional security

The chief of staff of Oman's armed forces emphasized that regional governments' cooperation and solidarity will ensure regional security.

The Omani general also praised the recent reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was mediated by China, saying that the pact will prevent foreign intervention in the area and boost regional security.

In recent years, Iran and Oman have conducted a number of cooperative naval exercises.

The Iranian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman staged a combined military exercise in Iran's territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman in December 2021.

The military exercise, the eighth of its type between Iranian and Omani naval forces, was carried out in accordance with an agreement made at meetings of the two countries' joint military friendship committees.

The major aims of the naval drills, which were undertaken with the participation of multiple floating units from both nations, were claimed to be the development of bilateral relations, the implementation of different training programs at sea, the exchange of experiences, and the improvement of the effectiveness of the two countries' naval staff.