Riyadh- After US Secretary John Kerry confirmed, in a meeting with his GGC peers in Riyadh, that the relationship between the US and the Gulf Countries is based on common interests, and that Washington will not fall back in defending the Gulf against any given threat, Gulf Countries have worked towards attaining “Self-protection” in light of the subsequent developments.

Despite US Secretary John Kerry ensuring Gulf Countries’ safety by bringing up the discussions on establishing a missile defense system, which has already been agreed upon during the American-Gulf May 2015 Camp David Summit, it turned out that matters are not bound to the US protecting Gulf interests theory. In fact, it has surpassed it to create a Gulf strategy on accomplishing self-protection even before the US took a step towards reassuring its allies, before and after the nuclear deal with Iran.

On October 2014, the Defense Minister Adviser of Kuwait Ahmed al Mualla, announced the anticipated development of the body “Island Shield” Gulf forces, through establishing a navy force that will later be announced to go by the name of “Naval Security Group 81”. He explained that all forces will be dedicated to preserving the security and regional stability of the Gulf.

Moreover, al Mala spoke in a press conference held in Doha titled “Coast and border control”, saying that military leaderships are in progress towards realizing a naval security system for common Gulf forces, announcing its leadership, and laying out the specific mechanisms of its strategic centers.

News on the launching of gulf naval forces comes after two years of opinionated discussions among decision makers in Pentagon who are asking for the withdrawal of the United States’ Fifth Fleet from its base in Bahrain. The fleet is considered to have been protecting Gulf waters for decades now.