Saudi Arabia Builds Alliances Amid Red Sea Threats

Saudi Arabia is forming regional defensive alliances to deter conflict and respond to attacks from Iran and its allies.

The kingdom announced that a 15th nation had joined its naval coalition, established earlier this month to secure shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. This maritime effort includes Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and Bahrain, among others. The United States is not providing a direct military commitment to the coalition, with its Central Command remaining focused on Iran.

Details regarding contributions, command structure, legal authorizations, and the mission's scope are still being finalized. Turkey has urged Egypt to join a defense pact signed last week in Mecca with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which stipulates that an attack on one signatory would be considered an attack on all. Saudi Arabia is increasingly involved in a conflict it did not initiate, seeking to keep adversaries at bay and enhance its response capabilities.