Houthis announce Red Sea blockade of Saudi ships after Sanaa airport strike, raising oil transit fears
Yemen's Houthi rebels say they are closing the Bab al-Mandab strait to Saudi vessels, a week after the most significant escalation since a 2022 truce, as the Saudi-backed government confirms striking Sanaa airport to block an Iranian plane.
Escalation after truce
The announcement on 20 July follows the most significant escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia since an informal truce took effect in 2022. The Red Sea has become a critical artery for Saudi oil shipments after the US-Israeli war with Iran led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government from Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015, and the conflict has killed more than 150,000 people, according to UN figures.
Sanaa airport strike
The immediate trigger was an airstrike on Sanaa's airport. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government confirmed it had attacked the terminal to prevent an Iranian plane from landing without authorisation. The aircraft was reportedly carrying a Houthi delegation en route to Tehran for a commemoration ceremony for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike, accusing the kingdom of bombing the airport.
Houthi retaliation and embargo
In response, the Houthis said they launched missiles at Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia. Later on Monday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, describing it as retaliation for what he called an "unjust and oppressive siege on our dear people for nearly 12 years".
Any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy through all escalation will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, stated on X:
closing Bab al-Mandab to Saudi enemy ships
The Bab al-Mandab strait is a narrow chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through which a significant volume of global maritime trade passes.
- Most significant escalation between Houthis and Saudi Arabia since the 2022 truce.
- Saudi-backed Yemeni government strikes Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.
- Houthis launch missiles at Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia in retaliation.
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea declares a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, closing Bab al-Mandab to Saudi ships.
Saudi response
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said the kingdom would take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law. The ministry did not provide specifics, but the statement suggests Riyadh is prepared to use military force to keep the waterway open. The Saudi-led coalition had previously enforced a naval blockade on Houthi-held areas during the war.
Oil transit at risk
The Red Sea route has gained outsized importance for Saudi crude exports because the Strait of Hormuz, the usual passage for Gulf oil, is effectively closed due to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Any disruption at Bab al-Mandab could further strain global oil markets already coping with the Hormuz closure. The Houthis have not detailed how they intend to enforce the embargo, but their arsenal includes anti-ship missiles and naval mines.
Humanitarian backdrop
The renewed hostilities threaten to worsen what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 22 million people in Yemen require some form of aid. The 2022 truce had brought a fragile calm, but the latest escalation risks plunging the country back into full-scale conflict.
