Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have confirmed the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with more nations expected to join.

Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen are the first to sign up.

The announcement of the coalition comes as the United States-Israel war on Iran continues to upend the energy and civil infrastructure of the Gulf region.

It also comes as the war increases its focus on the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual closure of the route, which formerly carried about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas exports, is weighing heavily on the global economy.