Saudi Arabia Forms Coalition to Counter Houthi Red Sea Blockade

The Government of Saudi Arabia is forming a multinational military coalition to protect Red Sea shipping following a July 20 maritime embargo declared by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. Headquartered in Riyadh, the coalition has sought participation from approximately 50 nations, including Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt, while waiting for a decision on U.S. involvement.

The initiative follows a surge in Houthi aggression, including ballistic missile strikes on the Saudi-flagged oil tanker NCC Ghazal and attacks on Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed these operations punish vessels for violating the group's embargo. Concurrently, Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani reported that the Houthis are working with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to establish a formal toll system for commercial ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, with Chinese vessels reportedly exempt.

These maritime tensions are embedded in a broader conflict with Iran. While Oman has proposed a voluntary transit fee system for the Strait of Hormuz to end disruptions, the United States maintains that mandatory fees are illegal. In a separate military escalation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan, all of which were intercepted. President Donald Trump recently halted a two-week U.S. bombing campaign in Iran but has threatened to resume strikes if negotiations fail. Additionally, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia conducted strikes against pro-Iranian paramilitary groups in Iraq, resulting in at least 20 deaths.