Saudi-Led Coalition Forms to Secure Red Sea Shipping Routes Amid Houthi Threat

Thirteen countries have joined Saudi Arabia in forming a coalition to protect international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea, following attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The coalition aims to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

The participating countries include Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. The coalition will be led by Saudi Arabia, with its permanent headquarters, joint command, and operations center hosted in the country.

Saudi Arabia formalized its response to the Houthi threat on Thursday by hosting representatives from 43 countries and the European Union to discuss establishing the Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition. Fourteen countries signed the founding declaration, which includes Saudi Arabia and the other participating nations.

The Red Sea tensions mark a new front in the wider Iran-US-Israel conflict, with attacks on shipping spreading beyond the Gulf and pushing oil prices higher.