Saudi Arabia Looks to Form International Coalition to Guard Red Sea Shipping
Saudi officials are consulting dozens of countries about a coalition to protect vessels in the Red Sea after Houthi attacks escalated, prompting wider regional tension and higher oil prices.
Saudi Arabia is in talks with multiple nations to create an international coalition aimed at safeguarding commercial shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces. The coalition's exact membership has not been finalised, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, accusing Riyadh of an "unjust and oppressive siege" of Yemen and claiming to have begun targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. Saudi forces responded with air strikes on Houthi-linked facilities at Yemen's Hodeidah port, which they said were being used to threaten commercial traffic.
The blockade has broadened the conflict beyond the United States and Israel, extending attacks on tankers carrying energy and other supplies and contributing to a rise in oil prices. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud received calls from counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, during which the diplomats stressed the need to de-escalate tensions and condemned attacks by Iran and its affiliated militias in Iraq and Yemen. The Gulf Cooperation Council was cited as a platform for continued coordination and stronger joint action.
Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of operating under Iranian direction to impose fees on ships transiting the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, describing the move as a "dangerous escalation" that could turn the strategic waterway into a permanent source of funding for militia activities.