Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi backed secure and unhindered navigation in the Red Sea during talks in Cairo on Tuesday. The meeting also addressed bilateral relations and efforts toward a sustainable political solution to Yemen’s conflict. The discussions came after Iran-aligned Houthi forces captured Mocha port and effectively took control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while the Saudi-backed Yemeni government lost key territories, including coastal areas important for oil shipping. Houthi assurances that Red Sea traffic would remain unaffected have been followed by attacks on Saudi-linked ships in recent months. Egypt, which depends heavily on Suez Canal tolls for foreign currency, lost approximately $7 billion between 2023 and 2024, or about 60% of canal revenue, as Red Sea transit declined. Egypt has so far avoided military action against the Houthi disruption of tanker traffic.