Islamic Republic Military Official: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE Forming Naval Coalition

The commander of the Islamic Republic Navy claimed that a joint 'naval force' coalition will be formed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in the northern Indian Ocean. Shahram Irani, the commander of the Islamic Republic Navy, stated in a television interview that 'new coalitions' are forming in the 'region and beyond,' adding that the naval coalition among Iran, Russia, and China is 'developing annually.' This senior military official also mentioned that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Pakistan, and India 'request' to be present in a 'regional cooperative action.' In recent weeks, some regional media outlets, such as 'Al-Hadid' in Lebanon, reported on the formation of a joint naval force between the Islamic Republic and some Arab countries 'to ensure maritime security in the Persian Gulf.' Simultaneously, since March 2023, the politically and diplomatically strained relations between Riyadh and Tehran have been improving through direct mediation by Beijing, with meetings held between officials of both countries. The deterioration of relations between the two countries began after the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran in the winter of 2015. In protest of this action, Saudi Arabia expelled Islamic Republic diplomats and simultaneously closed its diplomatic offices in Iran. This trend ultimately changed in March and April 2023 with the mediation of the Chinese government, leading to the resumption of relations, direct negotiations between diplomats of both countries, and the reopening of embassies and consular offices. Therefore, the commander of the Islamic Republic Navy announced that 'we will soon witness' the region being free of 'any unjust force' and that the people of the region will dominate their 'security domain' using 'their own soldiers.' Meanwhile, John Kirby, the spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, previously responded to questions from the Persian section of 'Voice of America' regarding military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia, and the relationship between Tehran and Riyadh. Exclusive; U.S. Navy: UAE is a coalition partner in the Persian Gulf. UAE pressured the U.S. to respond to the seizure of tankers by Iran. The UAE has become a commercial hub for Russian gold. Intensified U.S. Navy patrols to maintain international shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz.