Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have confirmed the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with more nations expected to join.
Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen are the first to sign up.
The announcement of the coalition comes as the United States-Israel war on Iran continues to upend the energy and civil infrastructure of the Gulf region.
It also comes as the war increases its focus on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, which formerly carried about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas exports, is weighing heavily on the global economy.
I’m not surprised. Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz was a way to pressure the USA to quit attacking Iran, but the USA isn’t one of the most impacted countries.
Even if the USA ends up agreeing to Iranian control over the Strait, the other countries in the Middle East might not and it is unclear if the USA could prevent a continuation war with these countries. That said, a defense alliance without the USA could potentially lead to a removal of American bases from the region as agreeing to the removal of American bases could be a way to satisfy Iran’s need for security without requiring these countries to accept a tax on their oil shipments.