Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Saudi Arabia is seeking to form an international coalition to protect vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces.
The coalition's composition has not yet been finalized and is being discussed with dozens of countries, according to the sources.
Tensions in the Red Sea are rising, adding pressure to an already fragile global economic outlook affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
On July 20, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, accusing its leadership of imposing an “unjust and oppressive siege” on Yemen for nearly 12 years, “plundering resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade.”
Since then, the Houthis have said they have carried out attacks on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. In response, Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes targeting Houthi military facilities at Yemen's Hodeidah port, which is alleged to have been used to threaten commercial shipping.
The Saudi International Media Center did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The blockade opens a new front against the United States and its allies in the broader US-Israel conflict with Iran, extending attacks on energy carriers and other supply sources beyond the Gulf and driving oil prices higher.
“Gulf states have tried hard to avoid this throughout the US-Iran conflict. They do not believe this is their war and have repeatedly said they do not want to be drawn into it,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Victoria Gatenby.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has received phone calls from his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, in which the diplomats “emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to de-escalate tensions,” according to his office.
They also condemned attacks by Iran and “its affiliated militias in Iraq and Yemen,” stressing continued coordination and stronger joint action through the Gulf Cooperation Council.
In Yemen, a minister of the internationally recognized government accused the Houthi forces of operating under Iranian direction to establish a toll system for vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani described “this move as a dangerous escalation aimed at turning one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia's military and terrorist activities.”
