Exclusive; US Navy: UAE is a Coalition Partner in the Persian Gulf

The spokesperson for the Fifth Fleet of the United States Navy in Bahrain stated on Wednesday, June 10, to the Persian section of Voice of America that the United Arab Emirates is a partner in the maritime security coalition in the Persian Gulf. Commander Team Hawkins made this remark in response to a statement from the UAE on Wednesday. The UAE has stated that it will no longer participate in the US-led task force operations to protect oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, which have recently been subjected to seizure by Iranian forces. The spokesperson of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in a written response to the Persian section of Voice of America, said: "You should ask the UAE. But one thing that can be said definitively is that the UAE is a partner in the maritime security coalition, and in this regard, nothing has changed." He added: "Regarding how much our partners participate, they can express that better themselves." According to Reuters, the UAE's statement is a reaction to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which cited American and Gulf sources stating that the UAE was frustrated by the lack of US response to the seizure of tankers by Iran. The UAE's statement noted that the Wall Street Journal report did not accurately reflect the discussions between the two countries, but the UAE had distanced itself from the maritime security coalition forces based at the US naval base in Bahrain two months ago. However, the UAE emphasized that it has not withdrawn from the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which consists of 38 countries aimed at combating international terrorism and was established in 2001. The statement mentioned that the UAE is committed to dialogue and diplomatic engagement to promote regional security and stability and to ensure maritime safety in accordance with international law. An American official told Reuters that the UAE is deeply concerned about actions in response to the seizure of tankers, including missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on the UAE in January 2022 and any other destabilizing activities occurring near the country. Five weeks ago, Iran seized two tankers in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz within a week. One of the tankers was carrying Kuwaiti crude oil to Houston in the US, and the other was moving from Dubai in the UAE to the port of Fujairah in the UAE. The US military stated that it is increasing patrols in the Persian Gulf to enhance the security of international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.