Middle East — 2026-07-21

Houthis Declare Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia Red Sea Ports Threatening Oil Exports Amid Iran War

BLUFHouthi forces will likely strike at least one Saudi-bound tanker near Bab al-Mandeb by August 10, closing Riyadh's last unchallenged export corridor and compressing global spare capacity.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced Monday an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, with deputy Houthi media official Nasruddin Amer stating the Bab al-Mandeb strait would be closed to Saudi shipping in retaliation for what the group called a decade-long Saudi blockade of Yemen and a recent strike on Sanaa International Airport 1. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called the siege allegations false and said it would take "all necessary measures" to protect its ships, without confirming specifics of the embargo's enforcement 2. The Guardian reported the Houthis moved quickly to warn shipping companies that tankers calling at Saudi ports risk attack 3. Bab al-Mandeb carries roughly 12% of world trade and, per Kpler data cited by Al Jazeera, saw 7.4 million barrels per day of petroleum transit in June, including up to 2.5 million bpd Saudi Arabia has been routing through its East-West Pipeline to Yanbu as an alternative to the Iran-blockaded Strait of Hormuz 24. Brent crude traded near $89.70 a barrel Tuesday morning, little changed from before the announcement 24.

Analysis
A declared blockade escalates the Houthi-Saudi conflict onto a second maritime chokepoint alongside Iran's Hormuz interdiction, and Houthi forces will likely conduct at least one confirmed attack on a Saudi-flagged or Saudi-bound tanker in the Bab al-Mandeb corridor within about three weeks, by August 10. Moderate confidence reflects the Houthis' demonstrated willingness to follow through on prior Red Sea targeting declarations, though Saudi enforcement posture and Iranian coordination remain unconfirmed. A successful strike would threaten the roughly 2.5 million bpd Saudi Arabia routes through Yanbu as its Hormuz workaround, tightening the world's remaining spare capacity margin. Riyadh's muted response so far leaves open whether it treats the threat as deterrable rhetoric or an active targeting risk requiring convoy or reflagging measures.

5 sources