UAE, Bahrain, "Israel", US Together in Joint Security Exercises
The US Navy is leading a security exercise in the Red Sea that brings together "Israel" with the UAE and Bahrain, in the first exercise of its kind after signing an agreement to normalize relations between them last year.
In the first of its kind, the US Navy is leading a security exercise in the Red Sea that brings together Israeli forces with Emirati and Bahraini ones.
Bordering the Red Sea are the strategic Suez Canal, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, as well as Yemen.
In a statement, the US Navy said that UAE, Bahraini, and Israeli forces began conducting a multilateral exercise on maritime security operations in the Red Sea with the Central Command of the US Naval Forces.
"Maritime collaboration helps safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability," said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, US 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces.
The five-day exercise includes training on the USS Portland vessel and aims to "enhance interoperability between participating forces' maritime interdiction teams", the statement said.
It is noteworthy that the UAE and Bahrain signed the "normalization" agreement last year under the administration of former US President Donald Trump.