Saudi leads 14 nations for new Red Sea naval coalition amid Houthi blockade
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Saudi leads 14 nations for new Red Sea naval coalition amid Houthi blockade")
Image for representation Photograph: (AFP)
Saudi Arabia and 13 nations formed a defensive naval coalition headquartered in Riyadh to secure Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb shipping lanes amid Houthi blockades and regional energy supply threats.
Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have agreed to establish a multinational defensive maritime coalition aimed at protecting shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday (July 30).
The agreement comes as Iran-backed Houthi militants continue their naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping remains disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling concerns over global energy supplies and pushing oil prices closer to the $90 per barrel mark.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Defence, the coalition’s founding members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.
The agreement was signed during a meeting in Riyadh attended by military chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries, alongside a delegation from the European Union. Officials reviewed the coalition’s draft charter during sessions held both in person and via video link, the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia will serve as the founding nation and host the coalition’s headquarters. The proposed structure includes a joint command and leadership system, a joint operations control centre and a general secretariat to coordinate the alliance’s activities.
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The Saudi Ministry of Defence said membership would remain open to additional countries once they complete their respective domestic accession procedures.
Describing the coalition as a purely defensive initiative, the ministry said it was not directed against any specific country or organisation and would operate in accordance with international law while respecting the sovereignty of all member states.
