Saudi Arabia Renews Call for Peace in Yemen as Red Sea Confrontation Escalates

   Saudi Arabia has renewed its call for a political settlement in Yemen and reaffirmed its support for all peace efforts led by the United Nations envoy, as the Yemeni government warned that the latest Houthi escalation poses a growing threat to international navigation and regional security.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber said the Kingdom would continue supporting initiatives aimed at ending the Yemeni crisis, including efforts to operate commercial flights through Sanaa Airport and facilitate the continued entry of ships into Hodeidah’s ports to meet the needs of the Yemeni population.

Al Jaber accused the Houthi movement of choosing escalation and violence over de-escalation and peace, saying the group had turned Yemen into a tool serving external agendas at the expense of the country’s security, stability and humanitarian situation.

The Yemeni government also condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, describing them as a direct threat to freedom of navigation and regional security. It held the group responsible for endangering Yemen’s economic interests and international trade and called for a firmer international response to deter attacks against civilian shipping.

The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen subsequently announced that it had assumed responsibility for protecting vessels and securing navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The coalition said it had begun operational measures to confront any threats targeting commercial ships and international shipping lanes.

In response, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out strikes in Hodeidah and said the attacks had brought the period of de-escalation to an end, while threatening retaliation. The group also reaffirmed its declared ban on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia and claimed responsibility for attacks against commercial ships, as well as missile and drone operations targeting sites inside the Kingdom.

The escalation followed the Houthi announcement of what the group described as a maritime blockade against Saudi-linked shipping. The declaration was followed by attacks on a Saudi commercial vessel and other reported maritime incidents in the Red Sea, prompting the coalition to announce measures to protect shipping and prevent further threats to one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.

The latest developments highlight the widening gap between the parties. Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government continue to emphasize a political settlement, the protection of international navigation and the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies, while the Houthis are expanding their military operations at sea and linking them to the broader regional confrontation.

The escalation also confirms a sequence of developments previously tracked by Sheba Intelligence, which reported Houthi preparations for a new phase of confrontation before the formal announcement of the maritime ban. Its earlier reporting documented the deployment of unmanned explosive vessels and underwater attack systems along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, missile and drone preparations, and operational coordination aimed at targeting shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The subsequent maritime attacks, threats against Saudi Arabia and the coalition’s decision to assume responsibility for protecting navigation closely correspond with those earlier indicators.