Gulf states to form joint maritime force under Chinese auspices
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman are set to form a joint naval force in order to enhance maritime security in the Persian Gulf, multiple sources report. The negotiations are allegedly being mediated by China.
The move follows an increased rapprochement among the Middle East’s erstwhile enemies – Iran and Saudi Arabia – in recent months, also brokered by China.
Ending years of tension, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China released on March 10 a trilateral statement, announcing resuming ties between Iran and Saudi.
The US is not participating in the new naval force, further fueling worries about a waning US influence in the region. The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy rejected any US presence in Gulf waters on Friday.
Abu Dhabi pulled out the US-aligned Joint Maritime Forces, which patrol the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, on Wednesday, citing a re-evaluation of its security needs. According to the Wall Street Journal, the UAE leadership has expressed disappointment at Washington’s efforts to curtail Iran’s influence in the region.
Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE all border the Gulf. These countries produce one-third of the world’s oil and hold around half of its crude oil supply. Most of it is transported through the Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, a 90km-wide choke-point.
In the years before the Iranian-Saudi détente, increased tensions had threatened the global energy supply. In 2019, an alleged Iranian missile attack targeted Saudi Arabian oil installations near the Gulf coast, cutting 5% of the global crude oil production, according to Reuters.
This week, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa at their annual BRICS meeting.
None of the Middle Eastern states is a member, though Iran has applied for membership. At the meeting, the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, pushed for the bloc to designate a national currency other than the US dollar for trade between the bloc members, Al-Monitor reports.