Yemen's Houthi militants announce maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia
The Houthi movement said it would block Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, warning of further oil market impacts amid regional tensions.
Yemen's Houthi militants announced on Monday that they are imposing an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, threatening to halt vessel traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The move comes as the group accuses Saudi Arabia of conducting an "aggressive siege" against the Houthis, a claim made in a statement carried by the country's state news agency.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is vital for global oil shipments. Saudi Arabia currently routes millions of barrels of crude each day through a pipeline to a Red Sea export terminal, a flow that has helped stabilize markets amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
If the Houthis were to close the strait, the diversion of Saudi oil could intensify the supply disruptions already caused by Iran's recent attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the announcement, crude oil prices showed little movement in early trading.
The embargo follows heightened tensions after the Houthis alleged that Saudi forces bombed Sanaa International Airport last week.