The United Arab Emirates has informed the United States and other Western allies that it is willing to take part in a multinational maritime task force to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
The report noted that the UAE is seeking to rally dozens of countries to establish a “Hormuz Security Force” to safeguard the maritime chokepoint from potential Iranian attacks and escort commercial shipping, Reuters reported.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
However, the UAE has encountered more Iranian attacks than any other country in the region, including Israel.
Strait of Hormuz
As a critical waterway, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements.
A great number of US allies have declared they do not plan to send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, effectively dismissing President Donald Trump’s call for military support to unblock the crucial shipping lane.
On Thursday, Paris said it had consulted approximately 35 countries on proposals for a future mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to be pursued only after the tensions between the US, Israel and Iran have ceased.
A senior Emirati official said last week that the UAE may play a role in a US-led initiative to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway carries a great significance for the UAE’s economy, serving as a key oil exporter and regional trade hub. Iran has repeatedly targeted an Emirati port outside the Gulf used to load crude shipments.
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