Houthi threat to Bab al-Mandab raises risks for oil exports and shipping
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
RIYADH, March 28, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The Houthis’ entry into the Middle East conflict could put the region’s oil exports and shipping routes at greater risk by threatening the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key chokepoint linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, CNN reported.
The development comes as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for a month, raising concerns that disruption could extend to another critical maritime route.
The Bab al-Mandab is 29 km (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point and handles major flows of energy and commercial traffic. More than 30 million tonnes of natural gas passed through the strait in the first 11 months of 2023, along with vast container traffic and 12% of total seaborne-traded oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Houthis previously targeted merchant ships in the Red Sea after Israel launched military action in Gaza following the October 7 attacks. More than 100 ships were struck before the group declared a pause in attacks last November.
Those attacks forced hundreds of vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing voyage times and costs.
Mohammed Mansour, undersecretary of the Houthis’ ministry of information, told CNN last week that closing the chokepoint was a “viable option.”
An Iranian source told semi-official Tasnim News that if U.S. forces tried to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, they should be careful not to add another strait to their challenges, adding that Iran was fully prepared to escalate the situation.
Since traffic through Hormuz was severely curtailed, Saudi Arabia has begun rerouting oil exports to the port of Yanbu on its west coast through a pipeline capable of handling 7 million barrels per day, while tanker traffic in the Red Sea has surged.
