Saudi Arabia announces maritime defence alliance to secure vital waterways

Yemeni sources report that Saudi Arabia is preparing a significant military offensive against the Houthis in central Yemen, potentially involving sea and land attacks. This move is seen as an effort to counter the Houthis' disruption of Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea. Saudi forces have been observed withdrawing from eastern Yemen, which could signal preparations for a land offensive. Concurrently, Saudi Arabia is organizing a multinational naval coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait, with several countries having issued statements of support. The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and much of its Red Sea coast, claim to be implementing a blockade against Saudi ships, stating it will be lifted if Saudi Arabia ends its blockade on Yemen. Recent Houthi attacks have targeted oil transport sites within Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is forming an international alliance to protect shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The coalition aims to counter Houthi disruptions to vital shipping lanes, including the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has impacted global energy prices and supply lines. Dozens of countries have been invited to join, with Egypt, Djibouti, and Sudan reportedly agreeing to participate. The alliance, to be headquartered in Riyadh, is a response to Houthi actions, including a maritime blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea is a critical global shipping route, carrying a significant portion of international traffic and oil exports.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to form an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthis. This initiative comes as Houthi strikes on energy tankers have expanded, contributing to rising oil prices and impacting the global economic outlook. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July, accusing the kingdom of plundering Yemeni resources and imposing a siege. In response, Saudi Arabia has conducted air strikes on Houthi military facilities in Yemen's Hodeidah port, which it claims are used to threaten commercial shipping. The composition of the potential coalition is still being finalized and is under discussion with numerous countries.

Saudi Arabia and thirteen other nations have formed the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance to enhance collective maritime defense cooperation and secure vital waterways. Announced on Thursday, the alliance aims to protect freedom of navigation, international trade, and energy supply routes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. This initiative comes amid escalating hostilities, particularly attacks by Iran-backed Houthi fighters on this strategic corridor. The alliance's activities will include intelligence sharing, operational planning, and joint exercises, with its nature described as purely defensive. The participating states view maritime security as a shared responsibility to confront transnational threats.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group claims to have fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, the NCC GHAZAL, in the Red Sea. This incident follows the Houthis' declaration of a naval blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, which they imposed over a week prior. The Houthi military spokesman stated the tanker was targeted for violating the imposed maritime navigation ban. The UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed a tanker reported an explosion in the Red Sea, with the crew safe and no environmental damage. The Houthis previously claimed attacks on two other Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and Layla, for violating the blockade. The Houthis stated their blockade is a response to Saudi Arabia's nearly 12-year "siege" on Yemen.

Saudi Arabia reported shooting down drones for a second consecutive day, stating they were launched from Iraq by Iran-affiliated militias and targeted petroleum facilities in the eastern region. Concurrently, Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have compelled a Saudi oil tanker to alter its course as part of their blockade against the kingdom. These incidents highlight ongoing tensions, occurring despite a recent lull in attacks between the United States and Iran following weeks of escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi Defence Ministry confirmed the interception and destruction of the drones.