Houthis Seize Yemen Red Sea Coast, Threaten Saudi Oil Route — SkimNews
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- Houthi rebels seized control of the Red Sea port city of Mocha and several islands from Yemeni government forces, establishing a foothold near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key trade gateway linking Asia and Europe
- Saudi Arabia has grown dependent on Bab al-Mandeb for oil exports after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran war in February 2026
- Iran now potentially controls two of the world's most critical maritime oil chokepoints, with Bab al-Mandeb carrying roughly 7% of global oil supplies by June
- Saudi Arabia struck Sana'a International Airport on July 13, 2026, to prevent a plane carrying a Houthi delegation to the funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei from landing
- Houthi forces attacked airports in southern Saudi Arabia in retaliation, declared a maritime embargo against Saudi vessels, and announced through official Yahya Saree the end of the "de-escalation phase"
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested US airstrikes against the Houthis, but the invitation was declined
- The 2022 ceasefire that had held since October of that year has collapsed, ending years of relative calm in the Yemen conflict
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia faces a compounding crisis: a renewed military setback against the Houthis, a shrinking set of oil export routes as Hormuz closed during the Iran war, and a Houthi foothold that could now choke Bab al-Mandeb, which carried 7% of global oil supplies by June. The US just declined MBS's airstrike request, leaving Riyadh with fewer options against an Iranian-aligned force it has failed to dislodge since 2015.
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