Saudi Arabia has proposed a “maritime defence coalition” involving dozens of countries to protect Red Sea trade routes from attacks by Iran's allies.
A first meeting of military representatives took place in Riyadh on Thursday, with 43 nations taking part to discuss the idea, the Saudi Defence Ministry said.
The ministry said the aim of the Saudi initiative is to “enhance maritime security, protect international maritime corridors, and counter threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade”. Saudi Arabia would host the headquarters of the new alliance.
A joint statement by 14 of the countries identified the corridors in question as the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, key trade routes along the shores of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
It said the group's activities could include the “execution of joint maritime operations”, as well as training, sharing intelligence and holding joint exercises.
The Bab Al Mandeb strait, linking the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is a major route for global trade and energy shipments. Beginning in 2023, the Houthis disrupted maritime traffic by attacking ships in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
But the Red Sea has taken on extra significance during the Iran war as an alternative route for oil exports to the Strait of Hormuz. That lifeline has come under threat due to attacks by the Houthis, who announced a “blockade” of Saudi shipping last week.
At least one Saudi-owned tanker has been attacked, while other vessels have turned around or opted for a longer, costlier route through the Suez Canal. The oil trade is already under pressure from the months-long war. The price of Brent crude last week passed $100 for the first time since May.
Saudi Arabia's Red Sea terminal at Yanbu has become a vital artery for oil since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts have told The National that the kingdom “cannot afford to let this blockade stand”. An existing Saudi-led coalition in Yemen carried out strikes against the port of Hodeidah last week in what it called a “proportionate military response”.
The announcement of the blockade was preceded by similar retaliatory attacks. Saudi Arabia came under a missile attack by the Houthis last week hours after an explosion at a rebel-held airport in Sanaa.
The Iran-backed Houthis took over Sanaa in 2014, prompting intervention by a Saudi-led coalition the following year, at the request of the Yemeni government.
The Houthi move has also been regarded as opening a new front on behalf of the rebels' patron Iran, as the war widens to new fronts. Egypt was yesterday investigating a drone strike that damaged two ships at a Mediterranean port and raised fears of a further escalation.
The unexplained drone attack came as one person was killed in Kuwait and five missiles intercepted in Jordan, in the latest exchange of fire between the US and Iran.
One Iranian attack hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in northern Kuwait, killing a worker and causing significant damage, the Kuwaiti Defence Ministry said. Jordan's armed forces said it destroyed five missiles launched from Iran in the early hours of Thursday, with no casualties.
The IRGC said it attacked Al Azraq Airbase in Jordan and accused the US of using the site to launch strikes on Qeshm Island that killed three members of a civilian family.
