Saudi Arabia on Thursday unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy routes in the Red Sea region following attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
The Saudi Defense Ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting to discuss the proposed coalition, with Saudi Arabia serving as the founding and leading state and hosting its headquarters.
The ministry said the coalition would work to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and energy supply lines, and protect shared maritime interests in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
Fourteen countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, issued a joint statement supporting the proposed coalition. Among the six Gulf Arab states, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed among the countries backing the statement.
The announcement came a day after two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Saudi Arabia was seeking to establish an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.
Houthi Threats Raise Shipping Concerns
The Houthis announced on July 20 that they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and have since claimed a series of attacks targeting Saudi-linked shipping.
Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes on what it described as Houthi military facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah that were being used to threaten commercial shipping.
The Red Sea tensions represent the latest escalation in the broader Iran war, with attacks on maritime traffic spreading beyond the Gulf and contributing to higher oil prices.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is a major maritime chokepoint for global trade and energy shipments.
The European Union launched a naval mission in the Red Sea in 2024 to help restore and safeguard freedom of navigation after Houthi attacks disrupted maritime traffic. The Houthis said their attacks were carried out in solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
