Maritime alliance

AS the US-Iran war drags on, new battle lines are being drawn. The pro-US Gulf Arab monarchies and Iran have enjoyed a chequered history, specifically after the latter’s Islamic Revolution of 1979. But now, in the midst of the current conflict, the Arabs and Iranians are moving dangerously close to direct confrontation. One manifestation of this is the new maritime defence coalition that Saudi Arabia has just announced. At least 14 countries, among them Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye, have signed a joint statement supporting the coalition that seeks to “strengthen maritime security” in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The development comes after the pro-Iran Yemeni…