Saudi prince seeks Egypt’s backing amid Houthi attacks
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CAIRO -- Saudi Arabia's crown prince sought backing Tuesday from the president of Egypt, his ally across the Red Sea, as the kingdom faces increased attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saudi shipping and infrastructure that have helped drive a surge in global oil prices.
Saudi Arabia has largely been on its own in confronting the Iranian-backed rebels, who rapidly captured more territory in Yemen over the past week and strengthened their ability to choke off Saudi oil exports out of the Red Sea.
The vulnerability of the kingdom's oil production was further underscored by an attack days ago that damaged its biggest pipeline. The strike was reportedly carried out by Iran's allied militias in Iraq. It means the East-West Pipeline will be largely shut down for weeks as it is repaired, regional officials say, likely taking several million barrels of oil a day off the market.
The Houthi offensive has opened up a new front in the Mideast's war and boosted the hand of Iran, Saudi Arabia's traditional archrival in the region, which has attacked shipping through the region's other major maritime route, the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The crown prince said in a statement that they both confirmed "their shared commitment to ensuring freedom and security of maritime navigation" in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the choke point at the sea's southern end. El-Sissi's office put out a statement expressing "Egypt's unwavering position in supporting Saudi Arabia."
Neither side gave firm details on any future steps. While Egypt is unlikely to offer military help to Saudi Arabia, the country is influential in the Arab world and can help rally support. Egypt has been at the center of mediation efforts in the last three years of turmoil in the region, keeping open relations with all parties, including Iran and its allies.
Kingdom looks for support in situation
In recent days, Houthi fighters made dramatic advances, seizing the Red Sea port of Mokha and three strategic islands in and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The gains have further improved the Houthis' position to seal off the strait to Saudi shipping, which they have been attacking since late July. Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the open ocean and, from there, to Saudi Arabia's biggest oil customers in Asia.
Saudi Arabia has so far seemed reluctant to unleash a major military campaign against the Houthis, wary of bringing greater Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure and being dragged back into an all-out civil war in Yemen, its southern neighbor.
But as Houthi attacks continue, the kingdom faces a potential decision about whether to step up its military response or seek a diplomatic solution.
The Saudis' most essential ally, the United States, has been unpredictable and sometimes unreliable. U.S. President Donald Trump seems reluctant to widen an already unpopular and stalemated Mideast war ahead of congressional elections. The United Arab Emirates, previously a partner in the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, has withdrawn from the war after conflicts between its allies in Yemen and Saudi Arabia's.
Yemen's U.N. Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that Yemen's armed forces are regrouping and regaining control but called for a U.N. arms embargo against the Houthis to be enforced and the council to condemn the escalation.