🔶 Fourth planning meeting of the multi-national naval defense coalition in Saudi Arabia

According to Anadolu Agency, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Friday, September 18, that the multi-national naval defense coalition held its fourth planning meeting in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Based on a statement from the ministry published on the social media platform X, the meeting was held in Jeddah and was part of the “ongoing transition of the coalition from the establishment phase to the operational implementation phase, after achieving initial operational capability.”

Saudi officials said that representatives of 41 “friendly and brotherly” countries, as well as representatives of the European Union, attended the meeting.

The coalition is a military alliance made up of 14 countries that was formed in July to ensure that vital sea lanes around the Arabian Peninsula, including the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea, remain open for international transit.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense emphasized that the coalition is currently working on integrating capabilities and preparing to carry out operations and real deployment in the maritime operational area.