Houthis impose maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia in escalating Red Sea conflict
The announcement marks the most significant escalation in the conflict since 2022, diverting over 70% of Saudi crude exports to the Red Sea and threatening global energy supply chains.
Yemen’s Houthi group has declared an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, citing retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen. Houthi officials confirmed the closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi vessels, a move that heightens risks for global energy supplies as the kingdom has recently diverted more than 70% of its crude exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced the embargo on Monday, describing it as a response to what he termed an "unjust and oppressive siege" by Saudi Arabia. Sarea stated the group was acting on an "eye for an eye" equation, warning that any further escalation by Saudi Arabia would be met with "comprehensive and decisive escalation." He did not provide specific operational details regarding the embargo's enforcement.
The declaration follows recent reciprocal military actions, including Houthi missile strikes on Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed these attacks were in response to air strikes on Sanaa’s airport, which were carried out by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The government stated the strikes were intended to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in the capital without authorisation.
Deputy head of the Houthi media office Nasruddin Amer posted on X that Houthi forces were actively closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi enemy ships. The strait, a 32km-wide waterway connecting the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea, has become a critical chokepoint for maritime trade. Total petroleum volumes transiting the strait rose to 7.4 million barrels per day in June, representing approximately 7% of global output.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea route for oil exports due to closures in the Strait of Hormuz. Recent weeks saw approximately 4 million barrels per day shipped from Yanbu, a significant increase from roughly 973,000 barrels per day a year earlier. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities regarding the new embargo announcement.
Mohammed Albasha of the US-based risk advisory firm Basha Report noted that while it remains unclear if the Houthis will target vessels heading to Saudi Arabia, the announcement alone is likely to disrupt shipping and create uncertainty for Saudi ports. The conflict, which began in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, has reportedly left more than 150,000 people dead and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
