Maritime Security and Energy Flows in the Gulf: Are Current Coalitions Enough?
Military cooperation to protect oil tankers and energy routes in the Arabian Gulf has largely developed in response to crises that threatened global energy supplies. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and a significant share of liquefied natural gas exports pass each day. Any disruption to shipping in this narrow waterway can quickly affect global energy markets, which explains the long-standing international effort to safeguard maritime traffic in the region.
International naval cooperation has evolved through several crises. During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), particularly the “Tanker War”, more than 400 commercial vessels were attacked or damaged. In response, the United States launched Operation Earnest Will (1987–1988), escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Gulf after they were reflagged under the U.S. flag. After the 1991 Gulf War, cooperation became more institutionalized through the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational coalition of more than thirty countries conducting maritime security operations in the region.
New initiatives were later introduced to address evolving threats to shipping. Following attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz in 2019, the United States launched the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), also known as Operation Sentinel, to monitor threats and escort ships when necessary. Additionally, Operation Prosperity Guardian, launched in 2023 to protect shipping from attacks in the Red Sea, reflects how maritime security across the wider region has become increasingly interconnected.
Amid current tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated that the United States will ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international navigation and warned that Washington would respond militarily to threats against shipping if necessary. He also stated that the United States would soon escort ships through the Strait to protect them from Iranian attacks and stabilize global oil markets, while calling on countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to deploy naval vessels to help secure the waterway.
European countries also established the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) mission, led by France, focusing on maritime surveillance and information-sharing. European countries have therefore played an important, but more limited role in Gulf maritime security compared with the United States. This reflects smaller naval capacities and competing security commitments in Europe, particularly following the war in Ukraine. European governments have also tended to favor surveillance and de-escalation missions rather than direct escort operations, partly due to concerns that a stronger military presence could escalate tensions in the region.
Despite these efforts, an important question remains: are these arrangements sufficient to protect energy shipping in the Gulf? Existing coalitions provide surveillance, deterrence, coordination, and sometimes escorts, but they cannot fully address asymmetric threats such as mines, drones, missiles, and attacks on ports or energy infrastructure. Recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns that disruptions to shipping or damage to Gulf energy facilities could still trigger rapid shocks in global energy markets. Even if routes were secured, reopening or stabilizing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after a major disruption could take significant time.
The key gap therefore is not the absence of cooperation but the absence of a more integrated regional maritime security structure combining stronger Gulf ownership with sustained international naval support, including a more consistent European presence, along with better coordination in air and missile defense and stronger protection for both tankers and critical energy infrastructure.
Mona Saad Al Resais, Associate Analyst in Strategic and International Studies at Derasat.
