The Ministry of Defense announced that Tunisia will host, from September 6 to 18, the multilateral naval exercise PHOENIX EXPRESS 2026, in cooperation with the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and with the participation of about 400 military personnel and observers representing 13 sister and friendly countries.

This hosting comes approximately one month after the opening of a US tender to expand a US military facility in the city of Bizerte, known as the "Center of Naval Excellence," which includes a harbor for warships and a helicopter landing pad. Construction began in 2024. We in Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Tunisia would like to clarify the following points to our people in Tunisia:

First: America is an enemy of Islam and Muslims; Its crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan are known to all, and its support for the Jewish entity in its aggression against Muslims in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran is well-known. Therefore, military cooperation with it is Haram - forbidden according to Islamic law because it is cooperation with an enemy in times of war, and Allah (swt) says:

[وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ]

“and do not cooperate in sin and transgression” [TMQ Al-Ma'idah 5:2].

Secondly: These military exercises, conducted under the banners of "combating crime and irregular migration" and "securing maritime borders and inspecting ships," do not serve the interests of the Muslim world or the people of Tunisia. Rather, their primary aim is to integrate local armies into the American security and military system, turning them into tools for protecting American interests in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The events unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz are a prime example of this.

Third: The Muslim Ummah faces grave challenges that necessitate the unification of its energies and armies under the banner of Islam, under the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) following the methodology of the Prophethood, so that it may confront the enemy lying in wait for it and its lands. Allah (swt) has promised us victory and empowerment if we support Him, establish His state, and rule by His law. He (swt) said:

[وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ]

“Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him. Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty” [TMQ Al-Hajj 22:40].

Therefore, we in Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Tunisia, despite the military trials to which our youth are subjected, foremost among them our Media Office member, Ustadth Muhammad al-Nasir Shuwaykha, who has been imprisoned in Mornaguia Prison for nearly two years for refusing to participate in military maneuvers with the American enemy, reaffirm our call to abolish military agreements with the cunning West, especially America.

We also call for severing all forms of dependency and striving to achieve true independence based on the great religion of Islam, under the Khilafah Rashidah established according to the methodology of the Prophethood, which Allah has obligated all Muslims to work towards establishing, as the Prophet (saw) said: «وَمَنْ مَاتَ وَلَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً»“and one who dies without bayah (having sworn allegiance) will die the death of one belonging to the Days of Ignorance.”