Red Sea Security Coalition: Saudi Arabia hosted a Riyadh meeting to finalize a multinational maritime defense coalition for the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, with chiefs of staff from 43 countries plus the EU discussing a draft charter, command-and-control and next steps; a joint statement backing the plan was issued by 14 states including Djibouti and Somalia, with the door open for more members. Shipping Disruption Watch: With Houthi threats and attacks continuing, tanker flows through Bab el-Mandeb have fallen sharply since the July 20 blockade announcement, while Hormuz remains constrained—keeping costs and routing decisions front and center for regional logistics. Djibouti’s Role: Djibouti is named among the founding backers of the Saudi-led maritime initiative, reinforcing its position as a key Red Sea security and connectivity hub. Somalia Mission Funding Pressure: In Kampala, troop-contributing countries met on AUSSOM’s future as US funding and UN logistical support face major reductions, with Djibouti among the delegations. Italy–Djibouti Connectivity: Med-Or and Djibouti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance signed an MoU in Rome to boost cooperation on critical infrastructure, subsea connectivity and energy resilience tied to the Bab el-Mandab corridor.