Political analysts believe that the threat posed by the Houthi militias through acts of piracy and the disruption of international navigation requires a collective response from international and regional parties, the day after the vessel «Insilia», belonging to a Saudi company, was targeted while sailing in the Red Sea on Thursday.

A responsible Saudi source reported at dawn on Thursday that the vessel «Insilia» had been targeted in the Red Sea, affirming the safety of its crew and that necessary measures were taken to secure it. https://t.co/npO9cE5d0M

— Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper (@aawsat_News) July 23, 2026

Amid regional and international solidarity and support for Saudi Arabia in response to the statements made by the group's military spokesman on Monday, a responsible source at the «General Transport Authority» in Saudi Arabia announced at dawn on Thursday, emphasizing that these attacks constitute a violation of international laws and norms that guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and their crews, and that the concerned authorities are taking all necessary measures to secure it, its crew, and protect the marine environment. The source also stressed Saudi Arabia's demand that the international community fulfill its responsibilities regarding the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution «2216» on Yemen, and Resolution «2722» on the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

The militia claimed responsibility for the attack via an official statement. Saudi political analyst Faisal Al-Shamri told «Asharq Al-Awsat» that the lack of human casualties does not diminish the seriousness of the attack or the political and military message it carries. He explained that «the Houthis are an armed organization outside legitimacy, which overthrew the recognized legitimate government, seized state institutions by force, and then turned Yemeni territory into a platform to threaten neighboring countries and international navigation.» For these reasons, he calls for not treating its attacks as defensive actions or legitimate political stances, but rather as an extension of an armed project that imposed itself by force, rejected the logic of the state and the law, and works for the «Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps».

The «Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen» affirmed that it will take all decisive and strict operational measures to protect its naval vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law. https://t.co/0b6gvAPDkl

— Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper (@aawsat_News) July 21, 2026

Political analyst Munif Al-Harbi shares the same view, affirming that the international community is required to do its duty in protecting international straits, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He adds that the point mentioned in the Saudi statement regarding «taking the necessary measures» implicitly refers to military deterrence if necessary.

Al-Harbi interprets the stance by stating that the Houthi «through his misreading of events is clashing with Yemeni legitimacy, the (Coalition) led by Saudi Arabia, and the international community.» Despite this, a political solution remains on the table via the roadmap presented by the UN Envoy in late 2023, though this, according to Al-Harbi, is conditioned on «the Houthi coming to his senses and abandoning regional calculations that are destroying Yemen.»

For his part, Saudi political analyst Ahmed Al-Ibrahim recalled Saudi moves in its endeavor to highlight the importance of this file, emphasize the securing of water straits in the region, including the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, and warn that reaching this level of escalation would exacerbate the challenges facing maritime security, which requires a collective response. He reiterated the statement of the «Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen» regarding its commencement of implementing measures to protect «Coalition» vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and its affirmations that Houthi threats to transiting vessels will be met with utmost firmness and strength, considering them a blatant violation of international law and falling under acts of maritime piracy.

Facts

Riyadh affirmed taking decisive measures to protect its security and vessels

The Saudi Cabinet stressed, during its session chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Jeddah on Tuesday, the Kingdom's continued support for Yemen and its legitimate government, and the adoption of decisive measures to protect its security and vessels in accordance with international laws.