The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies that it is willing to participate in a multinational maritime taskforce aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The UAE is seeking to rally dozens of countries to form a “Hormuz Security Force” to protect shipping from Iranian attacks and escort vessels through the vital waterway.
The move comes as Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas, spiking energy prices and fuelling global inflation fears.
According to the sources in the article, Abu Dhabi plans to deploy its own navy as part of the effort. “The focus is on creating as broad an international force as possible,” one official said.
“It’s not about going to war with Iran. Iran went to war on the global economy, and people need to stand up,” the official added.
The UAE said it's also collaborating with Bahrain on a United Nations Security Council resolution to give the proposed taskforce an official mandate, although opposition from Russia and China could complicate the plan.
So far, Bahrain is the only other Gulf state openly backing the initiative, though the UAE hopes to secure support from Saudi Arabia and additional international partners.
Senior Emirati minister Sultan al-Jaber emphasised the economic stakes. “Iran holds Hormuz hostage. Every nation pays the ransom, at the gas pump, at the grocery store, at the pharmacy.”
While the U.S. has called for NATO allies to assist in securing the strait, many have yet to commit ships, with France indicating it will consider involvement only once hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran have ended.
The UAE, which has a relatively small but modern navy, is positioning itself at the forefront of an effort to ensure the free flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the country’s growing frustration with repeated Iranian attacks on its ports and shipping lanes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the administration was working to allow ships to transit the strait “as quickly as we can.”
The U.S. rescued an airman missing from one of two warplanes downed in Iran, two U.S. officials said, as President...
The United States rescued an airman caught behind lines after Iran shot down his F-15 fighter jet, the U.S. govern...
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United...
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets....
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest t...
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
France and South Korea have agreed to strengthen defence ties and energy security cooperation following a two-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Seoul.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
International law experts from across the U.S., including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, have signed an open letter saying the strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes. America and Israel began airstrikes on 28 February on Iran's capital, Tehran.
The global commodities market is facing a severe structural supply shock after a series of coordinated military strikes in the Middle East devastated critical industrial infrastructure, threatening the manufacturing base of Western economies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment