Saudi Arabia has unveiled a “military alliance” of Muslim nations to tackle terrorism, another sign of the conservative Gulf monarchy’s growing interventionist approach amid proxy conflicts with rival Iran and the rise of Sunni militancy.
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud announced yesterday the kingdom would set up a joint operations centre in Riyadh to “support military operations to fight terrorism” and to co-ordinate with “friendly peace-loving nations and international bodies”.
The formation of the 34-strong Saudi-led alliance comes ahead of international mediation efforts in regional sectarian conflicts, such as the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.