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The United States and its allies' forces have gathered in Bahrain for a major naval exercise in the Gulf in a bid to deter threats in the global energy shipping waterways.
A total of 41 countries participated in the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX-13), which runs until May 30.
The drill is the largest of its kind in the region, comprising a wide spectrum of defensive operations designed to protect international commerce and trade, as well as mine countermeasures, maritime security operations and maritime infrastructure protection.
The two-week exercise took place amidst Iran's threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping line of energy east of Bahrain.
"We are very pleased to see that more than 40 nations have joined us here to take part in this opportunity to enhance international naval capability to preserve freedom of navigation in international waterways," said Vice Admiral John W. Miller, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet.
"If 41 nations are willing to come here and practice MCM, just imagine how effective the global mine response would be if someone actually put mines in the water," he said.
The participating nations began staff integration on Sunday with 35 ships, 18 unmanned underwater vehicles and more than 100 explosive ordinance disposal divers to be deployed in the exercise.
