Yemen’s Houthis are poised to attack vessels that are transiting the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a maritime security group led by the US Navy.
Maritime Embargo on Bab El Mandeb Strait
The warnings come following a “maritime embargo” by the Houthis on all Saudi vessels transiting the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. The embargo was announced this week, in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of all ports and airports in Houth-controlled Yemen.
Four tankers with Saudi cargo turned around before reaching the Bab El-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, according to CNBC.
However, the embargo is the first step in a series of escalations in the area according to the JMIC.
“Sources close to the group stated that the Houthis have completed preparations to attack shipping, including the deployment of missiles and drones positioned near Bab el-Mandeb,” the JMIC, told mariners in a notice Tuesday, as reported in CNBC.
The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf Aden, Arabian Sea and global markets and has been widely viewed an alternative exporting route for Saudi Arabia. 4% of all global trade passed through the Bab-El Mandeb Strait in the 1st half of this year. This is so surprise given the disruption to world trade following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Russell has observed that Saudi Arabia has been diverting exports from ports such as Ras Tanura that face out to the Strait of Hormuz towards Yanbu port.
Analysis from Russell shows that an estimated 48% of all crude exports from Saudi Arabia have left Yanbu in the 1st half of 2026, a 50% increase from the same period in 2025.
Further analysis can reveal that global crude oil exports through the Bab El Mandeb strait have increased of 50% in the first half of 2026, from the same period in 2025.
Comment from Russell
Julian Kirkman-Page, Head of Business Development commented on the news:
“Closing the Bab-El Mandeb Strait along with the closure of Strait of Hormuz would pose a grave threat to global oil markets. Currently, the Red Sea has offered a crucial release valve for crude oil exports that are currently blocked in the Strait of Hormuz. Without this, not only will key oil exporters such as Saudi Arabia suffer, but potentially, the global economy too”.
