Saudi Arabia stepped forward Thursday as the architect of a new multinational maritime alliance, unveiling plans for a defense coalition to protect shipping lanes and energy routes across the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden. The announcement came as the Middle East conflict widened, with U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Iranian attacks on U.S.-linked sites in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, and a drone strike that set fire to gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port.
The Saudi defense ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended the Riyadh meeting, out of 51 invited. Saudi Arabia will serve as the coalition’s founding and leading state, hosting its permanent headquarters and joint command centers. Fourteen nations; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia, signed a joint statement backing the initiative. Notably absent were two Gulf neighbors, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
The coalition aims to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, and secure international trade and energy supply lines threatened by a surge in attacks on commercial vessels, tankers, and port infrastructure. Participants reviewed the alliance’s draft charter, organizational structure, and operating mechanisms, describing it as an open, defensive initiative welcoming all countries that share its goals.
The push for collective maritime defense comes amid escalating regional violence. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have vowed to impose a naval blockade on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea and claimed a series of attacks on vessels. Riyadh has responded with air strikes on what it says are Houthi military facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah. In a first, Saudi Arabia publicly joined U.S. forces in strikes on Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq, retaliating for drone attacks on Saudi oil targets launched from Iraqi territory.
Iran, meanwhile, reported U.S. strikes on its Revolutionary Guards’ command centers and drone facilities, saying civilians and Guards members were killed. Tehran claimed retaliatory attacks on U.S. assets in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, though the U.S. military denied any aircraft were damaged, saying all missiles and drones were intercepted.
The conflict has also reached Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. A drone strike on gas vessels at Damietta port raised fears of a new front that could threaten navigation through the Suez Canal. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned the Middle East faced “serious escalation” after the incident.
As tensions mount, global shipping companies have begun rerouting vessels around Africa, avoiding the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Strait of Hormuz, another critical chokepoint, has seen crossings drop sharply amid security concerns.
Against this backdrop, the Saudi-led coalition presents itself as a stabilizing force. “The door remains open for other countries to join,” the ministry said, framing the alliance as a defensive effort to protect global trade and enhance regional security in the face of shared maritime threats.__Photo courtesy X (@ Saudi ministry of defense)
