Saudi Arabia Forms Maritime Defense Alliance Amid Houthi Blockade Threat

Saudi Arabia has established a maritime defense alliance to secure navigation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical waterway for delivering Saudi crude to international markets. The 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 and oil infrastructure.

The 14-country alliance includes Türkiye, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The Saudi defense ministry said the alliance aims to enhance maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, and protect shared maritime interests in the region.

The alliance has invited 51 countries and organizations to a meeting about the initiative in Riyadh on July 30, with representatives from 43 countries and an EU delegation attending. Of the 14 countries represented, 14 confirmed their support for the alliance while others are in the process of doing so.