A Russian destroyer docked at the Bandar Abbas Port in southern Iran, Press TV reported Wednesday.

“Marshal Shaposhnikov, a Russian Udaloy-class destroyer, has docked at this port with the aim of strengthening military ties between Iran and Russia,” Vice-Admiral Hossein Azad said.

The report did not specify the exact purpose of the visit, or the length of time the ship was expected to remain in port.

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The Bandar Abbas Port is the suspected launching point for Iranian weapons shipments to Sudan, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

Russia, unlike the US, does not maintain a regular naval presence in the Persian Gulf.