Iran’s navy commander, Shahram Irani, announced plans for a naval alliance that will bring together Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, and three other Gulf nations, according to reports in Iranian media on Saturday.
Irani underscored that the nations of the region have come to realize that their collective security is bolstered through cooperation, although he refrained from detailing the proposed structure of the soon-to-be-formed alliance.
This development comes as Iran seeks to rebuild its strained relationships with several Gulf Arab nations.
In March, under a deal mediated by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran managed to bridge a seven-year rift, underscoring the necessity of regional stability and economic cooperation. As part of their reconciliation, the two countries agreed to enact a security cooperation agreement signed back in 2001, along with a previous agreement on trade, economy, and investment.
Pakistan extended a warm welcome to the normalization of diplomatic relations, praising China’s role in orchestrating the landmark agreement.
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Along with Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, and Pakistan, the anticipated naval alliance will include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, according to Commander Irani.
This Saudi-Iran rapprochement has effectively thwarted Israel’s attempts to diplomatically isolate Iran. The UAE, the first Gulf Arab country to ink a normalization agreement with Israel in 2020, reinstated its formal relations with Iran last year. Following suit, Bahrain and Morocco also moved forward to establish ties with Israel.
