UAE withdraws from US-led Combined Maritime Forces

By Mahmut Geldi

ISTANBUL (AA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Wednesday that it had withdrawn from the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which operates in the Gulf waters.

“As a result of our ongoing evaluation of effective security cooperation with all partners, two months ago, the UAE withdrew its participation in the Combined Maritime Forces,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement cited by state news agency WAM.

The ministry rejected media "misinterpretations" of the country’s negotiations with the US on maritime security.

The Gulf nation said it remains committed to ensuring the safety of navigation in its own seas in line with international law.

The Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday that the UAE pressured the US "to make more muscular moves to deter Iran" following Tehran’s seizure of two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Headquartered at the US naval base in Bahrain, the CMF includes task forces of 34 countries. It operates in the fight against terrorism and piracy in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, seen as one of the world’s most important trade routes.