Saudi Arabia has announced a 14‑nation maritime defense coalition to secure the Bab al‑Mandeb, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden, the corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea (Al Jazeera, July 30, 2026). This union became necessary as Yemen’s Houthis have set up a maritime blockade at the Bab al-Mandeb strait, disrupting oil shipments rerouted to avoid the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.