Saudi Arabia to seek China’s help in resolving Houthi crisis in Red Sea — report

Saudi Arabia is exploring the possibility of requesting China’s mediation to solve the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea, as the Houthis continue their attacks against transiting commercial shipping.

Saudi Defense Minister Khaled bin Salman, who headed to China on Tuesday to discuss the strategic defense partnership between Beijing and Riyadh, tells Chinese diplomats that Riyadh is ready to make concessions to the Yemenite terror group in exchange for a halt to attacks on ships heading to and departing from Saudi ports, according to Houthi sources quoted by the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper.

The Saudi proposal comes after the Pentagon announced last week it withdrew the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier from the area, after it served nearly eight months in the region, a deployment that included efforts to thwart Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is currently on its way from the Pacific to replace it.

Last week, Greece sent its frigate Psara to join Operation Aspides, the EU’s mission in the Red Sea. A Houthi military source tells Al-Akhbar that its arrival constitutes a “provocation” to Yemen and a confirmation of the West’s intention to militarize the Red Sea, and will prompt a Houthi reaction.