Jeddah: Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem Al-Shehri, commander of the multinational maritime defense coalition, affirmed on Friday that any threat to the freedom of maritime navigation would be met with deterrence. “Any threat to the freedom of maritime navigation will be met with deterrence,” Al-Shehri said in press statements. He noted that “protecting international waterways is an international responsibility.”

According to Iraqi News Agency, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that the maritime defense coalition had reached operational capability, with representatives from 41 countries participating in the coalition’s fourth planning meeting in Jeddah. In a statement monitored by the Iraqi News Agency, the Saudi Ministry of Defense reported that “representatives from 41 countries participated in the fourth planning meeting of the maritime defense coalition in Jeddah.”

It explained that “the maritime defense coalition has transitioned from the establishment phase to active operations after achieving operational capability.”