The British Government, concerned at the possible threat to British lives and property, ordered a British warship, HMS Penzance, to take up position in the port of Al-Hudaidah and despatched Royal Air Force planes to the island of Kamaran. The cruiser Enterprise set sail from Mombasa for Aden.
The French, also eager to demonstrate their interest in these events, despatched a naval presence.
The Italians who, years earlier had become involved in Yemeni affairs during their own war with the Turks, responded quickly and sent a naval force to occupy and defend the town of Al-Hudaidah. Prince Faisal responded with even greater alacrity, ordering his army to march with all speed to the town. He sent scouts ahead to report on the situation in the town and with one hundred men rode ahead of his army to glean the intelligence his returning scouts had gathered. The scouts informed him that the Yemeni forces had departed but that Italian navy had already arrived in Al-Hudaidah harbor and were preparing to disembark and occupy the town. The small advance party which Prince Faisal led was hardly a match for the Italian navy but, nonetheless, Prince Faisal ordered his men to make all speed to the harbor and open fire on the Italians.
His audacity was rewarded. The Italians concluded that such a barrage against their warships would be mounted by the Saudis only if they already controlled the town and occupied well-defended positions. The Italian navy withdrew.