Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense has announced the appointment of a commander for a multinational maritime defense alliance aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri has been appointed commander of the coalition, just a week after its establishment.
Al-Shehri will oversee joint naval defense, coordinate with member states and other maritime coalitions, and carry out missions under the coalition's charter, the ministry added on X.
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen announced the formation of the coalition on July 30.
More countries are completing procedures to join the coalition, with some having already signed the joint declaration and others preparing to sign the declaration and charter before formally acceding as founding members, the Saudi statement said.
The ministry described the coalition as "an open international coalition that welcomes the accession of all countries that align with its goals and principles," adding that it continues to receive new membership applications.
The coalition will hold a planning meeting on August 12-13 to finalize its institutional framework and pave the way for more countries to join, according to the ministry.
The 14 countries that announced the formation of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition declared their intent to protect freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply routes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, which form a strategic maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean.
This comes as the US-Israel war on Iran has become focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, through which about 20% of global oil and gas supplies transited before the conflict, is weighing heavily on the global economy.
Source: www.aljazeera.com