India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed concern over escalating conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The MEA said that
the recent escalation undermines regional stability and threatens freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The spread of the war to Yemen and Saudi Arabia has raised new concerns about oil supplies by jeopardising the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains constrained amid US-Iran tensions. Responding to questions on the situation in West Asia, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are deeply concerned about the escalation in the security situation in the Red Sea area... We have expressed our condemnation of the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including on civilians and economic assets. You would have also seen a statement which we issued following the attempted attack on the holy city of Makkah." "Such attacks vitiate regional security, impact or undermine regional peace and security, and also threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb. For various reasons, this is totally unacceptable to us. We hope that there is an early restoration of peace and stability in the region," he added.
VIDEO | Delhi: On the situation in the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We are deeply concerned about the escalation in the security situation in the Red Sea area. You would have seen our statement earlier as well. We have expressed our… pic.twitter.com/LrBagbiU6S
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 18, 2026
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had discussed the latest developments during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the margins of the BRICS summit.
Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh strikes across their border on Thursday. The Houthis have been advancing towards the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and have captured multiple strategic islands. A separate attack that day knocked out Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline.
Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has relied on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait ever since Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz choked off its shipments via the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump has rebuffed pleas from the Saudis for military support to fight the Houthis, who agreed to a ceasefire with the United States last year after Washington bombed the group for two months. Trump, however, said that he is all set to take a "big decision".
