American officials and their allies warned that there would be consequences for the Houthis, the Iranian-backed armed group that has disrupted shipping in the Red Sea.
Attacks on two dozen ships since November are forcing shipping lines to figure out whether and when to skip the Suez Canal and send vessels on longer voyages around Africa.
Riyadh is seeking to avoid getting dragged back into a bloody clash with the Yemeni militia, which has sowed chaos by attacking shipping and firing missiles at Israel.