UAE Offers to Help International Coalition Reopen Key Middle East Shipping Lane

The United Arab Emirates has indicated it would join a multinational naval force aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Financial Times report. Iran has effectively shut down the strategic waterway, which handles about 20% of the world's oil and gas shipments, causing energy prices to spike globally.

The United Arab Emirates has informed the United States and Western partners that it’s prepared to take part in an international naval coalition designed to restore access to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Friday Financial Times report citing sources with knowledge of the discussions.

According to the report, the UAE is working to rally dozens of nations to establish what it calls a “Hormuz Security Force” that would protect the strategic waterway from Iranian aggression and provide security escorts for commercial vessels.

Among regional nations, the UAE has endured more attacks from Iran than any other country, surpassing even Israel in frequency of incidents.

Multiple American allies have indicated they currently have no plans to deploy naval vessels to clear the blocked Strait of Hormuz, declining President Trump’s appeals for military assistance to maintain access to the crucial shipping route.

On Thursday, France announced it had conducted discussions with approximately 35 nations in search of partners and proposals for a mission to restore strait access, though only after the conclusion of the U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted approximately 20% of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas transportation, driving up energy costs and raising concerns about global inflation.

The UAE is also collaborating with Bahrain on a United Nations Security Council resolution that would grant official authorization to any future naval taskforce, though the report notes that Russia and China may block such efforts.

Security Council members have started discussions on resolutions aimed at safeguarding commercial shipping through and around the Strait of Hormuz, including a Bahraini proposal that would permit the use of “all necessary means,” as Reuters previously reported this week.

A week ago, a high-ranking UAE official indicated the country might participate in a U.S.-led initiative to protect maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s near-complete closure of the passage to vessels.

The shipping channel holds critical importance for the UAE’s economy, as the nation serves as both a significant oil producer and regional trading center. Iran has launched multiple strikes against an Emirati port facility outside the Gulf that handles oil export operations.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the Financial Times report.