In a significant display of regional resolve, Saudi Arabia has spearheaded large-scale naval exercises in the Red Sea, bringing together littoral states under the banner of “Red Wave.” These maneuvers, held amid lingering uncertainties in the volatile maritime corridor, are explicitly designed to enhance preparedness against “unconventional maritime threats.” Chief among these remain the Houthi rebels, Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, whose activities, though diminished since the Gaza ceasefire, continue to cast a shadow of instability over one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
The multinational drills convened at Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah, drawing participation from Egypt, Jordan, the military command of Sudan, the internationally recognized government of Yemen, and Djibouti. Notably, Pakistan and Mauritania, though without Red Sea access, attended as observers, underscoring the broader international interest in regional stability. According to Egyptian military sources, the exercises encompassed both theoretical instruction and intensive practical training, aimed at consolidating joint operational concepts, crafting multilateral naval action plans, and honing capabilities to counter emerging maritime threats. Riyadh further specified the agenda included practicing surface, subsurface, and aerial warfare, alongside electronic warfare operations and tactics to combat smuggling and piracy.
While the Houthi movement has indeed scaled back its military operations since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10th, these extensive exercises serve as an undeniable signal to the group. Despite the lull, Houthi rhetoric remains bellicose. In a recent communication to Hamas, Ansar Allah’s Chief of Staff, Major General Yusuf al-Madani, lauded Palestinian militants for their “greatest example of Islamic steadfastness” and their triumph over “the strongest empires.” Al-Madani ominously vowed, “If the enemy (Israel) resumes aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep within the Zionist entity and re-impose the ban on Israeli shipping in the Red and Arabian Seas.”
This deep-seated regional mistrust of the Houthi’s temporary quietude has spurred long-term strategic planning. As far back as September, Qatari media reported on prospective Egyptian and Saudi Arabian plans to establish a joint naval force dedicated to safeguarding the Red Sea. While the specifics of this proposed maritime patrol, including its mechanisms and operational timeline, are reportedly still under discussion, the overarching intention is clear: to forge a durable military bloc for protecting vital shipping routes from Ansar Allah’s depredations. Crucially, this initiative appears designed to publicly distance itself from any collaboration with the United States and Israel, which have previously conducted their own operations against the Houthis.
Further fueling anxieties, Ansar Allah continues its internal campaign to root out perceived enemies, intensifying its hunt for alleged spies. The group has persisted in arresting UN and humanitarian aid workers, accusing them of espionage. Recently, the Interior Ministry within the Houthi-formed government announced the apprehension of members of a “spy network.” The ministry claimed a “large-scale security operation” had led to the capture of individuals allegedly operating under the direction of a joint operational headquarters involving the U.S. CIA, Israel’s Mossad, and Saudi intelligence services.
The Houthis contend that this alleged headquarters was based in Saudi Arabia and actively coordinated numerous independent spy cells operating within Houthi-controlled territories. They further assert that intelligence services from the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia trained these alleged spies, equipping them with methods of disguise and specialized equipment for surveillance and data transmission. Ansar Allah believes these activities were aimed at collecting intelligence on the movement’s military installations, subsequently utilized in attacks against Yemen.
This sustained tension around Yemen and the Red Sea corridor likely represents an additional factor influencing Riyadh’s reluctance to fully embrace the Abraham Accords – a series of normalization agreements with Israel. For the Houthis, the defense of the Palestinian cause remains a foundational element of their foreign policy and a rallying cry. Against this backdrop, the Saudi ruling house appears to be signaling a desire to defer any such deal. A senior Saudi Foreign Ministry official, speaking anonymously to the Financial Times recently, emphasized, “The establishment of a Palestinian state is a necessary condition for regional integration. We have said this many times, but it seems the answer has not resonated, because we are constantly asked this question.”