Have the Houthis blocked the Red Sea to marine traffic? | Explained
Marine traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait has significantly declined following Houthi drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure. The disruption has impacted global oil transport, though crude prices have fluctuated based on diplomatic signals between the U.S. and Iran.
Why it matters
The blockade of a critical maritime chokepoint poses a direct threat to global energy supply chains and international shipping security.
The story so far: Marine traffic transiting the Bab el-Mandeb in the Red Sea has fallen after Houthis struck Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast on Sunday (July 26, 2026). Reports said only 11 vessels passed through the strait.
On Sunday (July 26, 2026), the Houthis attacked the Aramco refinery in Jizan and export facilities at Yanbu , both considered vital installations. Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that “a number of sensitive targets and points related to the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu were targeted by several drones in response to the Saudi enemy’s drone incursions into Yemeni airspace”.
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