UAE follows Saudi Arabia in joining US-led Gulf flotilla – official

The United Arab Emirates followed Saudi Arabia on Thursday in joining a US-led force to protect Gulf shipping as tensions with Iran soared following twin attacks on key Saudi oil facilities, AFP reported.

Washington has pushed for the creation of the International Maritime Security Construct to safeguard trade and the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. It has so far been joined by Australia and Britain as well as Bahrain, the Gulf island state which is home to the US Fifth Fleet.

“The UAE’s accession to the alliance comes in support of regional and international efforts to deter threats to maritime navigation and global trade,” said the director of its international security cooperation department, Salem Mohammed al-Zaabi.

The UAE was to host talks on Thursday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who is on a Gulf tour to discuss Washington’s response to the strikes on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry.