Saudi crown prince seeks Egypt’s support as Houthi attacks intensify

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought Egypt’s support on Tuesday as escalating Houthi attacks threaten Saudi shipping and key infrastructure and contribute to rising global oil prices.

During a meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the crown prince and the Egyptian leader reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring safe and free navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

El-Sissi’s office also reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Saudi Arabia, although neither side announced specific measures or future military action.

Saudi Arabia has largely faced the Iranian-backed Houthis on its own as the rebels have expanded their control in Yemen and strengthened their ability to disrupt Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea.

The threat to Saudi oil infrastructure was highlighted by a recent attack that damaged the kingdom’s largest pipeline. The strike was reportedly carried out by Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Regional officials said repairs could take weeks, leaving the East-West Pipeline largely out of service and potentially removing several million barrels of oil per day from the market.

The Houthi offensive has added another front to the wider Middle East conflict and strengthened Iran’s position against its regional rival Saudi Arabia. Iran has also targeted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, another major oil route.

In recent days, Houthi forces have captured the Red Sea port of Mokha and three strategic islands in and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, improving their ability to threaten Saudi shipping.

The strait links the Red Sea with the open ocean and provides a key route for Saudi oil exports to major customers in Asia. The Houthis have attacked Saudi-linked shipping in the area since late July.

Saudi Arabia has so far appeared cautious about launching a major military operation against the Houthis, fearing further attacks on its oil facilities and a return to a wider war in neighboring Yemen.

The kingdom now faces a difficult choice between intensifying its military response and pursuing a diplomatic solution.

Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone on Tuesday evening before it entered the airspace over Mecca. He called the security of the holy city a “red line” and said Saudi forces would act against hostile and terrorist activity.

The Houthis denied launching drones toward Mecca.

Saudi Arabia’s main ally, the United States, has also shown reluctance to expand its involvement in the already protracted Middle East conflict ahead of congressional elections. The United Arab Emirates, once part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, has withdrawn from the conflict following disputes involving its Yemeni allies and Saudi Arabia.

At the UN Security Council, Yemen’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi said Yemeni government forces were regrouping and regaining ground. He called for enforcement of an arms embargo on the Houthis and urged the council to condemn the escalation.

Egypt also has significant economic interests at stake. Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping during the Gaza war sharply reduced traffic through the Suez Canal, cutting Egypt’s revenues.

During the conflict with Iran, Saudi Arabia diverted some oil exports through the Red Sea, with shipments moving through the Suez Canal or an Egyptian pipeline linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The East-West Pipeline shutdown is expected to sharply reduce or halt those shipments for several weeks.

Analyst H.A. Hellyer said Egypt was unlikely to send troops to support Saudi Arabia but could provide political backing among Arab countries.

He said there was broad international concern over the Houthis controlling a strategic chokepoint such as Bab el-Mandeb, although some countries remain cautious about working with Saudi Arabia because of its previous involvement in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition formed by Prince Mohammed in 2015 to fight the Houthis gradually broke apart because of internal divisions.

Meanwhile, the renewed fighting has pushed Yemen closer to another civil war. Houthi forces have inflicted major setbacks on Saudi-backed forces, including Yemen’s internationally recognized government, reviving a conflict that had largely eased following a 2022 truce.

The World Health Organization said more than 500 people have been killed in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces over the past week, compared with nearly 200 the previous week. Nearly 94,000 people have also been displaced.

Save the Children reported that at least 117 civilians, including 19 children, were killed between Aug. 1 and Sept. 9. It said 43 children were killed or injured during the first week of September, the highest weekly toll recorded by the organization in a year.

“Children are once again paying the highest price for some of the most severe violence the country has seen in years,” said Rishana Haniffa, the agency’s Yemen director.

Houthi-run Health Ministry spokesperson Anees al Asbahi said Tuesday that Saudi airstrikes killed three people, including two children, in Yemen’s Taiz province. The claim could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.

The Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, as well as much of northern and western Yemen, where most of the population lives. The internationally recognized government and allied militias control much of the south and east, including the major port of Aden and Yemen’s oil-producing areas.

Saudi Arabia launched a prolonged air campaign against the Houthis in 2015, but its allies made limited gains on the ground. The war has killed an estimated 150,000 people and at times pushed Yemen close to famine.