Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for joint international action to protect maritime passages and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. The kingdom also issued a veiled warning to Iran and the Houthis against using the straits as tools for political and military pressure or turning them into arenas of confrontation and competition, amid threats facing shipping and international trade and escalating tensions in the region.
The Saudi call came after weeks of escalation with the Houthi terror organization that has claimed the lives of hundreds of Yemeni civilians and several Saudis. Saudi Arabia, which signed several defense agreements over the past year, found itself alone in the battle against the terror group that simply isn’t backing down and is hitting its most sensitive sites.
In fact, the Saudi call comes just two months after the kingdom joined an international maritime coalition that includes 39 countries. The Saudi Defense Ministry claimed the coalition would enhance collective maritime security, preserve freedom of navigation and global trade, and embody the principle of shared international responsibility in confronting common threats.
Yet a little over two months later, Saudi Arabia is still waiting for military help against the threat coming from the south—while the fear of renewed war between Israel, the U.S., and Iran also troubles Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi government.