Saudi Arabia's military alliances won't shield it from a Houthi Red Sea blockade

Saudi Arabia's military alliances may not protect it from a potential blockade in the Red Sea by the Houthis. According to Haaretz, even if tensions between the US and Iran ease and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the Houthis could still pose a threat to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This could disrupt routes to the Saudi oil port of Yanbu and increase pressure on Riyadh.

The Houthis' potential blockade would be a significant concern for Saudi Arabia, given the importance of the Red Sea for oil exports.

In a separate development, Saudi authorities have arrested 14,165 illegal residents in a week, according to the Saudi Gazette. The arrests were made during joint inspections by security forces and government agencies. The majority of those arrested were violators of the Residency Law, Border Security Law, and Labor Law. A total of 12,363 illegal residents were deported, while others were referred to their diplomatic missions or to complete travel reservations.

Brief written by urgent.news from Haaretz, Saudi Gazette — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.