International Expert: “The Leader’s Warning Is a Red Line for Saudi Arabia… Supporting Israeli Shipping Is Political and Military Suicide”

An international expert on global maritime affairs has affirmed that the warning issued by Mr. Leader Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi to Saudi Arabia regarding any involvement in protecting or supporting Israeli navigation in the Red Sea constitutes a red line that cannot be crossed without catastrophic consequences.

Martin Kelly, Head of Consulting at the risk-management and security group EOS, wrote in an analysis published on the platform X that the Leader’s remarks clearly mean any Saudi intervention to protect vessels belonging to the Israeli enemy would render those ships legitimate targets for Yemen’s armed forces.

He added that this warning signals a likely expansion of Yemeni target sets to include Saudi commercial and maritime assets themselves, which would reopen a direct front of confrontation with Riyadh and undermine the détente that has been in place since 2022.

The expert pointed out that Yemen has demonstrated, through its precision operations, effective reach in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and that any Saudi bet on protecting Israeli interests would be a suicidal gamble threatening the Kingdom’s interests at sea and on land.

Kelly concluded by stressing that Saudi Arabia now faces a fateful test: either distance itself from serving the American-Israeli project, or face severe repercussions it will not be able to bear.