Saudi Arabia Seeks International Coalition To Protect Red Sea Shipping From Houthis

Saudi Arabia plans to form an international coalition to face Houthis in the Red Sea, media sources reported.

It is not clear which countries will be a part of this formation, and nothing has been finalised yet; however, discussions are ongoing with many countries.

The U.S-Iran war has done much damage to the trade of oil and gas globally, and led to concerns over food security, especially in low-income countries. Inflationary pressures are also troubling people across the world, caused by shortages of energy supplies and rising shipping and insurance costs.

To aggravate the issue, Houthis have also entered the scene, and after a closure of Hormuz, we could witness a closure of the Red Sea routes as well, which could render a major blow to shipping and complicate issues even further.

Recently, the Iran-backed group announced the imposition of a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia after blaming its leadership for the ‘unjust and oppressive siege’ on Yemen for nearly 12 years, to plunder the country’s resources.

Houthis have since then launched many attacks on ships connected with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, and Riyadh has responded with strikes on Houthi military facilities at Yemen’s Port of Hodeidah.

The new Houthi offensive has opened a new battlefront in front of the US and its allies in the ongoing war with Iran.

The attacks on commercial shipping have expanded to new regions and practically made the entire Gulf region a high-risk area for seafarers.

The diversion of vessels to the Suez Canal or around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope has not only raised costs, but also led to a resurgence of piracy in Somalian waters, with three ships hijacked and under the control of pirates.

Countries in West Asia have been trying to avoid becoming entangled in the U.S-Iran war as they believe it is not theirs to fight; however, the impact of the conflict is affecting the entire region’s trade and subsequently the economy.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud communicated with his counterparts in Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait on a telephone call, in which he emphasised the need to continue de-escalation efforts in the region, for the benefit of all.

They also offered strong condemnation of the Iranian attacks and its ‘affiliated militias in Iraq and Yemen.’

Houthis are being accused of working with Iran to establish a system for imposing fees on ships wanting to cross the Red Sea and also the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.