Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Persian Gulf. FILE IMAGE: IRNA
The commander of Iran’s navy announced that the Islamic Republic will form a joint naval alliance with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, India and Pakistan.
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani made the announcement during a televised program that was aired on June 2. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, the commander said that “countries of the region have realized that the security of the region can be established through synergy and cooperation of the regional states.”
“Almost all the countries of the North Indian Ocean region have come to the understanding that they should stand by the Islamic Republic of Iran and jointly establish security with significant synergy,” the commander added.
Irani didn’t provide any additional details on the alliance or reveal when it could be announced. None of the countries named by the commander has confirmed the plan yet.
The announcement came two days after the UAE said it had withdrawn the United States-led Combined Maritime Forces, which was formed to provide security for civilian maritime traffic by conducting counter-piracy and counter-terrorism missions in the heavily trafficked waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
Iran has recently been trying to mend its strained ties with several Gulf Arab states. In March, Tehran restored relations with Riyadh after seven years of hostility under a China-brokered agreement that the need for regional stability and economic cooperation.
If materialized, the Iranian plan for an all-Middle Eastern naval alliance could seriously weaken U.S. influence in the Persian Gulf.
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