Saudi Red Sea coalition sought to counter Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia is discussing a maritime security coalition with dozens of countries after Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Saudi Arabia is trying to assemble a Saudi Red Sea coalition to protect shipping from attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, people familiar with the talks told Reuters. The effort matters because the Red Sea attacks have added pressure to global trade and energy markets already strained by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported that the coalition’s membership has not been settled and that discussions are under way with dozens of countries. The Saudi Center for International Communication did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
What is Saudi Arabia seeking in the Red Sea?
Saudi Arabia is seeking an international maritime security arrangement aimed at protecting vessels in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, according to Reuters. The plan remains under discussion, and Reuters reported that officials have not finalized which countries would take part.
The push follows a July 20 Houthi announcement of a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia. The Houthis accused Saudi leaders of enforcing what they called an unjust siege on Yemen for nearly 12 years, taking Yemeni resources and imposing a broad blockade.
Since that announcement, the Houthis said they have attacked Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia responded with air strikes on what it described as Houthi military sites at Yemen’s Hodeidah port, saying those facilities were being used to threaten commercial shipping.
Why are Red Sea attacks raising wider concerns?
Al Jazeera reported that Red Sea tensions are hurting the global economic outlook at a time when the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The blockade has expanded attacks on tankers carrying energy and other supplies beyond Gulf waters and has helped push oil prices higher, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera described the blockade as a new front against the United States and its allies in the wider US-Israel war on Iran. Its correspondent Victoria Gatenby said Gulf states had been trying to avoid an expansion of the conflict and did not view it as their war to fight.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud received calls from his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to his office. The diplomats stressed the need to continue efforts to reduce tensions, his office said.
The Saudi foreign minister’s office also said the Gulf diplomats condemned attacks by Iran and what it called affiliated militias in Iraq and Yemen. They also emphasized coordination and stronger joint action through the Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the same statement.
What have Yemen’s government officials said?
In Yemen, Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani, who serves in the internationally recognized government, accused the Houthis of acting under Iranian direction. He said the group was trying to create a system to charge fees to ships passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Al-Eryani called the alleged plan a dangerous escalation and said it was aimed at turning a strategic maritime corridor into a continuing funding source for Houthi military and terrorist activities. The Houthis have not been quoted in Reuters’ account responding to that specific allegation.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.