Saudi Arabia is working to form an international coalition against Houthi attacks on maritime shipping in the Red Sea. Sources who spoke to Reuters said the coalition's structure remains unclear and talks with dozens of countries are continuing.
The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, accusing Saudi leaders of imposing an "unjust and oppressive siege" on Yemen for years. After that date, the Houthis announced they had carried out attacks on Saudi ships in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes targeting Houthi military facilities at Yemen's Hodeidah port.
According to Al Jazeera, the declared blockade opened a new front in the ongoing war with Iran, extending attacks on energy-carrying tankers beyond the Persian Gulf and driving up oil prices.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The diplomats stressed the importance of continuing de-escalation efforts during the talks, while condemning the attacks by Iran and its "affiliated militias in Iraq and Yemen."
Meanwhile, Information Minister Muammer al-Iryani of Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthis of attempting to collect fees from ships passing through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Iran's direction. Al-Iryani described this move as "a dangerous escalation aimed at turning one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent funding source for the militia's military and terrorist activities."
