U.S.-Houthi Backchanneling Leaves Saudi Arabia Isolated

Reports indicate that the U.S. declined to provide military support to Saudi Arabia during the Houthi advance on the port city of Mokha in mid-September. Instead of authorizing strikes, President Donald Trump dispatched CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper to Riyadh for intelligence coordination. Shortly thereafter, U.S. officials held direct, Omani-mediated talks with the Houthis at the American Embassy in Muscat. The primary focus of these discussions was securing assurances that Houthi forces would refrain from targeting U.S. vessels in the Red Sea.

This strategic pivot has left Riyadh scrambling to form the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, an alliance of 14 nations aimed at securing regional shipping lanes. However, the coalition faces significant hurdles, particularly the influence of Beijing. China maintains a dominant economic and military foothold in Djibouti, a key member of the proposed task force, through massive infrastructure investments and its first overseas military base. With the Houthis now controlling critical transit points, the resulting insecurity and perceived U.S. abandonment may prompt Saudi Arabia to reconsider its long-standing reliance on Washington, potentially accelerating a move toward a closer geopolitical alignment with Beijing.