Saudi Arabia Forms Maritime Defence Alliance to Secure Red Sea Route

Saudi Arabia has formed a maritime defence alliance with 14 countries to secure navigation in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. This move comes after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis imposed a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia and claimed attacks targeting Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The narrow waterway is a critical route for delivering Saudi crude to the international market, as energy exports from the Gulf were largely choked off by the US-Iranian standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi defence ministry issued a joint statement on behalf of the 14 countries in the alliance, stating that the group aims to enhance maritime security and safeguard freedom of navigation. Representatives from 43 countries attended the meeting in Riyadh on Thursday, with 14 countries confirming their support for the alliance.