Saudi Arabia Forms Coalition to Protect Shipping Amid Escalating Tensions with Houthis

Saudi Arabia has formed a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from escalating hostilities with Yemen's Houthis.

The alliance, which includes 13 countries that have completed procedures to join and 15 countries that have signed its joint statement, aims to coordinate intelligence sharing, joint exercises, and maritime operations to safeguard commercial navigation.

Saudi Arabia will provide the first commander, while Pakistan is expected to appoint the deputy commander. The coalition's activation comes amid a sharp escalation between Saudi-backed forces in Yemen and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which has threatened one of the world's most important trade routes.

The Houthis have claimed attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and oil infrastructure, while the Saudi-led coalition has struck Houthi military sites in Yemen. The confrontation poses a particular threat to Riyadh because the Red Sea has become an increasingly important outlet for Saudi oil amid the US-Iran conflict and severe disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Aramco has redirected crude away from Hormuz through its cross-country pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, with loadings there averaging more than four million barrels per day since June. This is more than four times the level recorded during the same period last year.