Saudi Deputy Chief of Staff: Protection of straits is a shared international responsibility

Riyadh (Agencies): Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Rear Admiral Fahd Al-Ghufaili, stressed that threats to sea lanes require an effective collective response. Speaking yesterday at the Manama Dialogue forum in Bahrain, Al-Ghufaili noted that safeguarding straits is a shared international responsibility. The Saudi military official also affirmed that threats to maritime routes affect the interests of all countries and have become an international challenge. Reiterating that protecting straits is a common international duty, he said, “Maritime security is not the responsibility of a single state, and force cannot replace the rule of law.” He added that “international straits should not be used as tools for political and military pressure.” These remarks came amid escalating international warnings about threats to international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab, against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the region stemming from the Iran-US conflict and its repercussions in Yemen, including ongoing clashes between Houthi militias and Yemeni forces, as well as Houthi threats to ships and navigation in the Bab al-Mandab.