The U.S., French and British navies have launched anti-mine exercises off Bahrain in support of the free movement of trade in Gulf waters, a military spokesperson said Monday.
"As mines threaten maritime traffic indiscriminately, the U.S., France and United Kingdom are dedicated to conducting tactical training to counter the risk of mines in order to support the continued free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation in this critical region," said the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.
The exercise is "purely defensive," Lt. Chloe Morgan, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy, told AFP.
The small kingdom of Bahrain, allied with Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia, is located in the waters between the kingdom and its arch-nemesis Iran.
The archipelago is also home to a permanent British military base.
Agence France Presse
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