Escalating attacks have prompted Saudi Arabia to adopt a more proactive security
posture in Yemen and the wider region, driven by the prospect that Houthi forces
could eventually block the Bab el-Mandeb strait and threaten the Red Sea
shipping lane that is an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh is
especially sensitive after recent tensions around Hormuz, since a closure of Bab
el-Mandeb would put Red Sea routes — previously a viable complement to Saudi
east–west pipelines bypassing Hormuz — at direct risk. Last month Saudi Arabia
announced an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping with 13
participating countries, while deepening defense agreements with Pakistan and
Turkey and increasing coordination with the United States. Saudi defense
officials recently met the US vice president, and media reports say the crown
prince has US backing for potential military action against the Houthis. On the
ground, Riyadh has shifted tactics — intervening late last year against the
UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council to help consolidate anti-Houthi forces
around the Yemeni government — and analysts say Saudi policy now appears aimed
at driving the Houthis off the coastline rather than attempting to retake Sanaa.
