New front in US-Iran conflict as Houthis impose naval blockade

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants have announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, dragging the US-Iran conflict directly to the Red Sea gateway.

IMAGE: Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Getty Images

The Houthis have described the maritime blockade as retaliation for the “unjust and oppressive” siege of Yemen.

Brent crude’s price moved higher following the announcement as the naval blockade stands to imperil the alternative export corridor used by Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces declare a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi… effective immediately,” Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare’e said on social media platform X.

Riyadh is highly dependent on the 1,200 km East-West Pipeline, funnelling about 70% of its crude exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz.

The announcement comes days after Iran instructed the Houthis to prepare to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait if the US strikes Iran’s power infrastructure.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It carries about 7% of global seaborne oil flows.

Previous Houthi attacks in 2024 sent shipping costs soaring by forcing vessels to divert around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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