As Saudi Arabia rallies against Yemen's Houthis, US stays focused on Iran

Jared Szuba

Aug 14, 2026

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WASHINGTON – As Saudi Arabia gears up to head off any attempt by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait through further attacks on commercial shipping, the Trump administration remains focused on maintaining the blockade of Iran, officials said Friday. 

The Saudi Defense Ministry announced Thursday that a 15th nation had signed onto its nascent naval coalition, which was established earlier this month in an effort to keep shipping lanes open in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. Al-Monitor first reported Riyadh’s plans to stand up the multinational coalition following a spate of recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.

While the latest participating nation has not been named, the maritime effort — which thus far includes Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Bahrain and others — does not include a direct military commitment from the United States, a source familiar with the discussions said. 

Why it matters: The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which supported a failed Saudi-led coalition bombing campaign to halt the Houthi rebels’ advance that began in 2015, remains heavily focused on the stalemated war with Iran.

CENTCOM sent its top US........

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