Saudi Arabia and Eritrea are working to restore operations at a naval and air base on Eritrea’s Red Sea coast near the port of Assab, as Riyadh seeks to counter the Houthis’ newly declared maritime blockade, Channel 14’s Dror Balazada reports.

The move follows the Houthi terrorist organization’s announcement of a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia, including the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The base was originally established by the United Arab Emirates in 2015 to support coalition operations against the Houthis during the war in Yemen. Eritrea overlooks the African entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and has a clear strategic interest in keeping the shipping route open.

Located northwest of the strait, the facility would allow Saudi Arabia to secure its maritime routes without relying solely on international coalitions and to respond rapidly to any Houthi attempt to attack Saudi vessels.

A Saudi presence at the base would also place the Houthis under pressure from two directions: from the Saudi border to the north and from the Eritrean coast to the west.

The initiative remains in its earliest stages, with hopes that an upcoming diplomatic visit could help advance the plan.

The Houthis said the blockade was a direct response to what they described as Saudi Arabia’s siege of Yemen and warned that all Saudi maritime activity would be considered under threat.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)