The United States, Bahrain, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have begun a joint naval training in the Red Sea, the US Navy announced.
The five-day exercise is the first occasion the four countries have publicly acknowledged shared maritime drills and comes after the UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year.
The training focuses on maritime “visit, board, search and seizure tactics” and will “enhance interoperability” between the four participating navies, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet said in a statement on Thursday.
“It is exciting to see US forces training with regional partners to enhance our collective maritime security capabilities,” Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command, said in a statement.
“Maritime collaboration helps safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability.”
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