The members include Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, and India. Iran announced the establishment of a new naval alliance. Reuters | Alliance | United Arab Emirates
According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Iranian naval commander Shahram Ilani announced on June 2 that a new naval alliance will be formed in the Gulf region, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Iraq and India.
According to Iran's Fars news agency, Irani said, "We will soon witness the liberation of our region from the hands of unauthorized forces."
Ilani said, "By deploying their own military personnel, the people of the region will play a leading role in the field of security."
According to Reuters, Ilani said, "Countries in the region recognize that only through mutual cooperation can security be brought to the region."
The report stated that Ilani did not specify the situation of this naval alliance, only stating that it will be established soon.
The Reuters report mentioned that members of this naval alliance also include Bahrain and Pakistan.
The report points out that Iran has been working hard to repair its relations with several Arab countries in the Gulf region recently.
In March of this year, with the mediation of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a reconciliation agreement, ending the seven-year hostile relationship between the two countries. Both sides emphasized the need to bring stability to the region and engage in economic cooperation.
The report suggests that the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has thwarted Israel's efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically.
According to Reuters on May 31st, the United Arab Emirates announced on the same day that it had withdrawn from a US led Middle East maritime security alliance two months ago after evaluating security relations.
The report states that the Joint Maritime Force is a task force composed of 34 countries, headquartered at the US Navy base in Bahrain, responsible for security, counter-terrorism, and anti piracy operations in the Red Sea and Gulf regions.
A statement issued by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Due to our assessment of effective security cooperation with all partners, the UAE withdrew from the United Maritime Forces two months ago."
The statement states that the United Arab Emirates is committed to promoting regional security and stability through dialogue and diplomatic contacts, and is committed to ensuring the safety of navigation in its waters in accordance with international law.