UAE calls for global force to reopen Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates has informed the US and Western allies that it will join a multinational maritime task force to open the Strait of Hormuz. Notably, the country has plans to deploy its own modern navy to participate fully in the mission, reflecting a “hardened stance” against Tehran. The UAE is lobbying dozens of countries to create a dedicated force to defend the waterway from Iranian attacks and provide naval escorts for shipping. Given the strait’s status as a global energy hub, approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through the passage; however Iranian attacks have currently reduced this traffic to a “trickle.”

The blockage threatens to keep global oil prices elevated and is currently strangling supply chains for Gulf nations. To address this, the UAE and Bahrain are working on a UN Security Council resolution to provide a legal mandate for the task force; however, opposition from Russia and China is expected. 

While the Trump administration supports the reopening, NATO allies have so far resisted joining the escort mission. As reported by the Financial Times, while the Trump administration supports the reopening of the strait, NATO allies have so far resisted joining the escort mission.

At present, Bahrain is the only other Gulf state publicly backing the plan. The UAE is working to secure support from Saudi Arabia and other international partners. According to analysts, Tehran will keep the strait closed as it is a critical point of leverage in its ongoing conflict with the US and Israel. 

Regional nations are caught between wanting the US to weaken Iran and fearing that a sudden US withdrawal would leave them vulnerable to a more radical Iranian regime. To bypass the strait, states are considering accelerating the construction of pipelines and rail infrastructure to move energy resources overland to Oman or the Mediterranean.