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Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar met with Yemen’s Ambassador Jamila Rajaa and Senator Steve Daines, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in Washington on August 16, 2026. The officials examined threats posed by the Houthis to maritime security and freedom of navigation in addition to the impact on the Yemeni population. Bint Bandar, Rajaa and Daines reviewed the Saudi partnership with Yemen that has included sustained support for its people, according to a statement Rajaa issued on her official X account. They reaffirmed the value of continued trilateral coordination aimed at countering the threats and promoting peace across the region.
Rajaa said in the X post that she was pleased to participate alongside Princess Reema bint Bandar in the discussion of the latest developments in Yemen and the broader area. The Yemeni ambassador underscored the importance of the strategic partnership and continued Saudi support for Yemen, noting that achieving maritime and regional security and stability is closely linked to Yemen’s stability. The three sides stressed the need for ongoing US political and economic backing of the Yemeni government and the associated reform program. Rajaa’s account framed the talks as advancing shared objectives on stability.
A Reuters assessment found that a Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea could block an additional 7 percent of global oil supply while straining US military resources already stretched across multiple fronts. The Iran-aligned group had earlier launched attacks on international shipping that prompted major carriers to reroute around Africa at higher cost. Data from the Suez Canal Authority shows daily traffic through the waterway stood at around 31 ships in May 2026, well below the pre-crisis level of 75 ships per day.
The NGO Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project placed the number of vessels attacked by the Houthis throughout their two-year campaign at 178, with four ships sunk and nine sailors killed. Those actions, which largely paused after a Gaza ceasefire took effect in October 2025, had already reduced Suez Canal transits by 52 percent in 2025 compared with 2023 levels. Senator Daines joined the ambassadors in emphasising that renewed threats require sustained international attention to protect shipping lanes vital to the global economy.
Saudi Arabia has maintained its partnership with the internationally recognised Yemeni government since intervening in the civil war that began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. The Council on Foreign Relations noted that a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 had quieted much of the fighting until recent Houthi strikes on Saudi territory in July 2026 raised fears of renewed escalation. Bint Bandar highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to Yemeni stability during the Washington session as a foundation for broader regional security efforts.
US support for the Yemeni government has included both political advocacy and economic assistance that the three officials agreed must continue to advance reforms. The discussions occurred against a backdrop in which the Houthis have survived previous Saudi and US actions while demonstrating willingness to obstruct maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense told Reuters. Rajaa’s X statement tied these elements together by positioning Yemen’s internal stability as indispensable to secure navigation and peace in surrounding waters.
