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| Arabia |
| Saudi Arabia hosts multinational meeting to establish maritime coalition |
| 2026-07-31 |
| [Rudaw] Saudi Arabia hosted military officials from 43 countries and the European Union delegation on Thursday to discuss establishing a multinational defensive coalition aimed at protecting three key maritime trade routes amid growing security threats and the ongoing US-Iran war. “The meeting was held to discuss the Kingdom's initiative to establish the Multinational Defensive Maritime Coalition,” Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said in a statement, noting that the coalition falls “within the framework of efforts aimed at enhancing maritime security, protecting international sea lanes, and countering threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade.” The meeting comes amid escalating tensions in regional waters after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militias recently announced a naval blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, claiming responsibility for targeting two Saudi oil tankers. The Houthis said the embargo was a response to what they described as an "unjust and oppressive siege" imposed by Riyadh "on our ports and airports by land, sea, and air" over the past 12 years since the start of the Yemen war. Saudi Arabia has firmly rejected the Houthi claims of a blockade on Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government also warned that the Houthi measures in the Red Sea amount to "maritime piracy" and would be met with “decisive force.” More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Dopey Photch2701 2026-07-31 14:02 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: chris 2026-07-31 01:51 |