Saudi Arabia’s crown prince departed for Egypt on a state visit on September 15, seeking backing from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as the kingdom faces escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels according to the Associated Press via HuffPost. During their meeting in Cairo, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President el-Sissi confirmed their shared commitment to ensuring freedom and security of maritime navigation
in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as reported by WSLS.
Crown Prince Seeks Egyptian Backing Amid Houthi Escalation
The presidential office in Egypt issued a statement expressing Egypt’s unwavering position in supporting Saudi Arabia,
though neither side provided firm details on future steps as noted by HuffPost. Analysts suggest that while Cairo is unlikely to offer direct military assistance, it can provide valuable political backing among Arab nations for any measures the kingdom takes, given Egypt’s regional influence and history of maintaining diplomatic channels according to HuffPost and WSLS.
Regional Threats and Oil Pipeline Disruptions
The high-stakes diplomatic visit comes in the wake of renewed fighting in Yemen’s civil war, which reignited in July when the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting ships in the Red Sea reported the Jerusalem Post. In a lightning offensive, Houthi fighters seized the Red Sea port of Mokha, three strategic islands in and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the entirety of Yemen’s Red Sea coast noted HuffPost.
Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure has faced direct strikes. An attack blamed on drones from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq forced the shutdown of the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) East-West Pipeline on Thursday, September 11 according to the Jerusalem Post. Regional officials indicate that the vital pipeline will remain largely shut down for weeks for repairs, taking several million barrels of oil off the market daily and driving a surge in global oil prices reported HuffPost. The closure severely strains Saudi efforts to export crude while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have similarly stifled shipping noted the Jerusalem Post.
Riyadh Vows a Firm Response Amid International Stalemates
Following a new series of attacks, Saudi Arabia warned it would react firmly to the Houthi offensive, issuing attack alerts for Mecca as well as the Jeddah and Taif governorates reported Yahoo News. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree countered that Saudi Arabia had launched 52 airstrikes on Yemen over a 24-hour period, while Hazem al-Assad of the Houthi leadership stated that the Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they (Saudi Arabia) persist in their aggression against our people
jpost.com.
The conflict has displaced 100,000 people internally, according to United Nations figures cited by Yahoo News. Meanwhile, international diplomatic and military backing remains complex. US media reported that the crown prince made a personal request to US President Donald Trump for intervention last week, but was turned down according to Yahoo News. US Vice-President JD Vance stated that the administration is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation reported the Jerusalem Post, and a US military task force is actively working to enhance intelligence-sharing and planning assistance for Saudi forces noted Yahoo News.
Egypt also bears economic repercussions from the maritime disruptions; previous Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping reduced traffic through the Suez Canal, cutting Cairo’s crucial foreign revenue significantly reported HuffPost.