Saudi Crown Prince Seeks Egypt's Backing Against Yemen's Houthi Rebels
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sought Egypt's backing as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on shipping and oil infrastructure, a conflict that has also helped push up global oil prices.
The Houthis' recent battlefield gains near the Red Sea have increased their ability to threaten Saudi oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. During a meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the crown prince said the two sides had confirmed 'their shared commitment to ensuring freedom and security of maritime navigation' in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi Arabia has largely been left to confront the Iranian-backed Houthis on its own as the rebels have rapidly captured more territory in Yemen over the past week. In recent days, Houthi fighters seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and three strategic islands in and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The pressure on Saudi oil supplies was underlined by an attack days ago that damaged the kingdom's biggest pipeline, reportedly carried out by Iran-allied militias in Iraq. Regional officials said the East-West Pipeline would be largely shut for weeks for repairs, likely taking several million barrels of oil a day off the market.