Fourteen states have backed a Saudi proposal for a multinational maritime-defense coalition covering the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden, following Houthi attacks and a declared blockade of Saudi-linked shipping that widened the Iran war to a second trade chokepoint.
The endorsing states are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. All fourteen are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
At a July 30 meeting attended by representatives of 43 countries and the European Union, participants reviewed a draft charter, headquarters, command-and-control structure and operating mechanisms. Saudi Arabia would lead the coalition and host its headquarters, according to the meeting account.
Oman and the United Arab Emirates are the only Gulf Cooperation Council members absent from the endorsement; neither government has issued a public explanation. Military planners must still complete national approval procedures. The charter remains unsigned, and no force contributions, deployment timetable or rules of engagement have been announced.
The initiative follows the Houthis’ July 20 declaration of a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and Riyadh’s subsequent strikes on Houthi targets. Bab al-Mandeb normally carries about 12% of global trade.
The coalition significantly broadens the regional security response generated by the Iran war. But endorsement is not an entry into hostilities: until ships, personnel and operational authorities are assigned, it remains a coalition in formation – not a functioning combat force.
