USS Bataan hosts distinguished visitors from Qatar at sea September 17, 2023 — The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) hosted a delegation from Qatar, including the U.S. ambassador, at sea Sept. 14 for a day-long embark. The embark was an opportunity for the delegation meet Sailors and Marines deployed to the region and to better understand their capabilities. MORE

NAVCENT hosts Israeli Foreign Minister September 4, 2023 — U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) hosted Israel’s foreign minister, Sept. 4, for discussions on regional maritime security cooperation. MORE

Middle East Naval Coalition Expands with Jordan as 12th Member September 1, 2023 — U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) welcomes the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as the latest member of the International Maritime Security Construct, a multinational maritime coalition established in 2019 to deter attacks on commercial shipping in the Middle East. MORE

Saudi Arabia Assumes Command of Coalition Task Force Sentinel August 27, 2023 — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia assumed command of a multinational task force that monitors merchant shipping through key strategic chokepoints during an indoor ceremony here Aug. 27. MORE

Royal Saudi Navy Assumes Command of Combined Task Force 152 August 27, 2023 — The Royal Saudi Navy assumed command of a multinational naval task force focused on maritime security in the Arabian Gulf during a ceremony here, Aug. 27. MORE

U.S. and Jordan Complete Bilateral Maritime Exercise August 23, 2023 — U.S. 5th Fleet and the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) completed a two-week bilateral maritime exercise, Infinite Defender 2023, off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan, Aug. 23. MORE

Republic of Philippine Navy Assumes Command of Multinational Counter-Piracy Task Force August 21, 2023 — The Republic of Philippine Navy assumed command of a multinational counter-piracy task force during a change-of-command ceremony Aug. 21 at the U.S. Navy base here. MORE

3,000 Sailors and Marines Arrive in Middle East aboard USS Bataan, USS Carter Hall August 7, 2023 — More than 3,000 U.S. Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the Middle East, Aug. 6, as part of a pre-announced Department of Defense deployment. MORE

CMF Task Force Commander Visits EUNAVFOR Headquarters in Spain August 2, 2023 — The commander of the counter-piracy task force for Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) visited European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) headquarters July 26 in Rota, Spain. MORE

Task Force 57 Welcomes New Commander during Ceremony in Bahrain August 1, 2023 — U.S. 5th Fleet’s task force responsible for maritime patrol and reconnaissance support across the Middle East region welcomed a new commander Aug. 1, during a ceremony at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. MORE