United Arab Emirates Pulls Out From US-Led Combined Maritime Force

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 31 that the country had halted its contribution to the “Combined Maritime Force” led by the United States two months ago, and that the decision had been made following continuous evaluation with all other partners in the Combined Maritime Force.

The United Arab Emirates also declared that it is committed to conducting peaceful dialogue and pursuing diplomatic means as means for advancing common objectives regarding security and stability in the region.

The UAE keeps on abiding by its commitments to ensure maritime safety in its waters based on a responsible manner.

It is worth mentioning that the United States’ officials have not yet reacted to the decision by the UAE.

The “Combined Maritime Force” is a joint naval organization comprising of 37 states commanded by the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.

The purpose of the naval coalition is to ensure maritime security as well as combat terrorism and piracy in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf waterways, in addition to encouraging regional collaborations and bolster safe navigation.

The UAE’s withdrawal from the Combined Maritime Force comes as the ties between the Arab country and Iran have become closer since last year, and tensions between the Islamic Republic and Arab littoral states of the Persian Gulf have decreased.

Certain Qatar-based media outlets have claimed in recent days that Iran and the Arab nations have reached consensus to form a joint naval force in coordination with China, and that they aim to guarantee maritime security in the Persian Gulf.