Houthi Red Sea Strikes Signal Strategic Threat to Saudi Shipping
Escalating Houthi attacks in Yemen threaten Bab el-Mandeb Strait and force Saudi oil diversion.
Quick Look
Houthi air strikes in Yemen threaten maritime traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, echoing US-Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and forcing Saudi oil tankers to divert around Africa.
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Why It Matters
Houthi embargoes and cross-border attacks are affecting maritime traffic and regional security.
Coinciding with an escalating battle of attrition between the United States and Iran for control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthi air strikes are widely viewed as a precursor to a parallel conflict with Saudi Arabia for dominance over the Red Sea.
As with Hormuz, the intense fighting in Yemen’s Taiz and Hodeidah governorates is expected to strangle maritime traffic using the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Indian Ocean to Europe via the Suez Canal.
A Houthi embargo imposed in July on Saudi shipping transiting the strait has forced the kingdom to divert oil exports from Red Sea ports to Asia around Africa, adding thousands of kilometres and associated costs to tanker voyages.
“We are looking at both the return of Houthi cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia and the resumption of the group’s efforts to bring a virtual halt to Red Sea shipping,” said Adam Baron, a veteran Yemen analyst and fellow with the future security programme at the Washington-based think tank New America.
Open Questions
- How will Saudi Arabia respond militarily to the Houthi embargo?
