DUBAI: Naval forces from the United States, Israel and two Gulf Arab states are taking part in a joint security drill in the Red Sea, a vital shipping route that feeds into the Suez Canal.

The US 5th Fleet said on Thursday that the five-day multilateral maritime exercise with Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain began on Wednesday and includes at-sea training focused on search and seizure tactics aboard the USS Portland transport dock ship.

The drill comes a little more than a year after the UAE and subsequently Bahrain normalised ties with Israel despite strong criticism by Palesti­nians over the formal recognition of Israel.

An Israeli navy officer said it is the first time the three nations have shared maritime training exercises. The UAE also sent a delegation to an Israeli-hosted air force drill last month.

“This is the first time at sea, and actually it’s exciting that young officers are meeting young officers, the officer told reporters. We’ll do it step by step.

Their participation reflects their shared concerns over Iranian threats to regional shipping. Israel has accused Iran of trying to use the high seas to smuggle weapons to Israel’s enemies. It also has accused Iran of carrying out a series of attacks on civilian ships with Israeli ties.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2021