ERBIL () - The Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition held its fourth planning meeting in Jeddah on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry announced on Friday, with representatives of 41 nations attending as the coalition formally transitioned from its founding stage to its actual operational stage, having reached Initial Operational Capability, the ministry confirmed in a statement on X.
The meeting was attended by representatives of 41 brotherly and friendly countries, with EU representatives also participating, the ministry said. The session reviewed developments in the coalition's work, achievements during the previous phase, and progress in countries joining the coalition, and discussed requirements for joint operations and the capability contributions of participating countries to support coordinated and integrated multinational defensive operations.
The coalition, a 14-country military alliance formed in July 2026 to ensure that vital waterways surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, including the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Red Sea, remain open to international traffic, is currently integrating capabilities and preparing for operational execution and an active presence in the maritime area of operations, the ministry highlighted.
The meeting marks an advanced stage in the coalition's development, focusing on operational readiness under a unified command ahead of deployment and the launch of missions in the area of responsibility, the ministry added. The discussions also addressed the capability contributions of participating countries to support coordinated and integrated multinational defensive operations and enhance the coalition's overall operational readiness.
With the activation of leadership and the welcoming of personnel from member states, the coalition has completed its documentation and structuring phases and is now moving toward capability integration and raising operational readiness as preparation for executing its designated missions. These steps place the coalition at a transition point from institutional construction toward joint field operations, particularly in a region where international security and economic interests converge across multiple maritime corridors with direct and immediate relevance to global trade and supply chain stability.
The fourth planning meeting comes as the global maritime environment has reached its most disrupted state in modern memory. The Strait of Hormuz remains contested following the six-month US-Iran war that began on February 28, 2026, with Brent crude having briefly surpassed $110 a barrel as simultaneous disruptions struck both Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline was struck by drones from Iraq on September 10; the Houthis captured Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb; and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on September 10, urging Houthi strikes, with Trump declining both times. The Maritime Defense Coalition's progression to Initial Operational Capability in that context is not a ceremonial milestone. It is an operational necessity.
