Saudi Arabia forms new maritime defense coalition

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)-International Service: According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that the third planning meeting of the multinational maritime defense coalition was held at the headquarters of the Western Fleet Command in Jeddah with the participation of representatives of 39 countries.

 

In a statement published on the social network "X", the ministry added: The number of countries signing the joint statement is 15 countries; in contrast, 13 countries have completed their national measures, signed the coalition charter and announced their official joining. He noted that other countries are completing the necessary national measures to join the coalition.

 

According to the statement of the Riyadh Ministry of Defense, this development is taking place at the same time as the process of completing the institutional structure of the coalition is accelerating; The coalition commander was appointed by Saudi Arabia, its deputy in the first term by Pakistan, and the headquarters, motto, organizational frameworks, planning, and reference guidelines for the start of the coalition have been approved.

 

The goal of this coalition is to create an institutional defense framework to counter growing maritime threats by strengthening maritime security and protecting freedom of navigation, along with securing international trade routes, protecting energy supply routes, and common maritime interests in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

 

Through this coalition, member countries will strengthen the exchange of information and intelligence among themselves and will work on developing operational planning, conducting joint naval exercises and maneuvers, as well as building military capacity and conducting joint naval operations.

 

On June 30, Saudi Arabia announced that 14 countries had agreed to establish a multinational maritime defense coalition. At that time, these countries, in a joint statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, expressed their support for the multinational maritime defense coalition project and welcomed the agreements reached on the arrangements for its establishment.

 

The details of the coalition's agenda and the level of their cooperation on joint operational issues remain shrouded in ambiguity, and many experts and theorists of regional political issues declare the Saudi naval coalition, like the Mecca agreement, to have propaganda and show-off dimensions to break the military deadlock resulting from the naval blockade of Yemen by Ansarullah, which was carried out in response to the 12-year blockade of the country and the start of the war against it.