Riyadh's Panic After Yemen's Operations: Saudi Arabia Turns to Western Countries

Riyadh: According to Raaz News report | Saudi Arabia, continuing its diplomatic efforts to garner Western support against operations by Yemen's Ansarullah forces, held a series of consultations on Monday with senior officials from Canada, Germany, France, and the UK — talks whose main focus was regional developments, maritime security, and what Riyadh calls "Houthi attacks" against the country.

According to Saudi Arabia's official news agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Monday evening with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, discussing bilateral relations and regional developments. In the call, Carney announced his government's position in support of Saudi Arabia and condemned attacks by Yemen's Ansarullah forces on the country.

According to the published report, the Canadian Prime Minister also emphasized his country's solidarity with Riyadh against what was described as a threat to Saudi Arabia's security and its citizens and residents. In addition to regional issues, the two sides reviewed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields, though no further details of the conversation were released.

Bin Farhan's Consultations with the Foreign Ministers of Three European Countries

Simultaneously with this call, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, held separate meetings with his German, French, and British counterparts.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry announced that Bin Farhan, in his meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, discussed regional developments, diplomatic efforts to maintain security and stability, and ensuring freedom of navigation and the security of maritime routes.

In the meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the recent regional developments and operations by Yemen's Ansarullah forces against Saudi Arabia were at the center of consultations. The two sides also reviewed ways of cooperation to contain regional crises, reduce their consequences, and preserve the security of waterways and freedom of navigation.

Bin Farhan, in his talks with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, also exchanged views on the most important regional issues and joint efforts to ensure maritime security, protect maritime routes, and restore stability to the region.

Riyadh's Effort to Garner International Support

The frequency of diplomatic meetings by Saudi officials with Western countries comes as operations by Yemen's Ansarullah forces and developments related to maritime security have become one of the important axes of regional equations. In these consultations, Riyadh seeks to align its position on Yemen developments and regional security issues with the support of Western partners; in contrast, Ansarullah has repeatedly described its operations as part of confronting Saudi Arabia's and its allies' policies and military actions in the region.

Meanwhile, the emphasis by Saudi officials on maritime security and regional stability once again highlights the importance of the Yemen file and the consequences of a war that began in 2015 with the military intervention of the Saudi-led coalition and remains one of the main factors of tension and instability in the region.