The Houthis, the Saudis and the New Red Sea Politics

The Houthis, the Saudis and the New Red Sea Politics | International Crisis Group

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!Horn Hero

**Podcast** / Africa 18 September 2026 **1 minutes**

The Houthis, the Saudis and the New Red Sea Politics

*This week on* *The Horn**, Alan talks with Crisis Group experts Yasmine Farouk and Ahmed Nagi about what’s behind the Houthi offensive in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s response and the implications of emerging Saudi-backed security partnerships for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.*

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* Horn of Africa
* Yemen
* Saudi Arabia

In this episode of *The Horn*, Alan is joined by Crisis Group’s Arabian Peninsula director Yasmine Farouk and senior Yemen analyst Ahmed Nagi to explore why Yemen’s truce is unravelling and what renewed fighting means for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. They examine how stalled Saudi-Houthi negotiations and the U.S.-Israel war on Iran are contributing to the latest escalation, and how Houthi attacks and threats against shipping through the Bab al-Mandab strait add to pressure on Saudi oil exports. They then discuss emerging Saudi-backed security partnerships, including the Red Sea maritime coalition and the R4 grouping of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan, exploring their implications for the Horn. Finally, they assess stalled Sud