Houthis announce naval blockade against Saudi Arabia – Bab al-Mandab comes into focus

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted maritime infrastructure and shipping in recent years. Since autumn 2023, they have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea, initially in solidarity with the Palestinian Hamas after the start of the Gaza war. The militia has controlled northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014 and has positioned itself on the Iranian "Axis of Resistance." According to observers, it possesses advanced weapons technologies and its own production capacities.

The Houthis: Actors on the Iranian axis

Most recently, heavy US and Israeli airstrikes in 2025 significantly reduced the Houthis' military capabilities. Nevertheless, the militia is apparently able to put shipping under pressure with radio messages and the announcement of a naval blockade. The Houthi-Saudi conflict was an open war from 2015 to 2022 and has been more or less dormant since 2022, before now regaining intensity.

The economic consequences of a sustained blockade would be considerable. Egypt has already suffered billions in losses as a result of the disruption to the Suez Canal caused by Houthi attacks, because revenues from the canal collapsed. If Bab al-Mandab were to become a permanently closed zone, the already strained supply situation on the world energy markets would come under further pressure.

US President Donald Trump has announced that he wants to "take care of it." Trump had threatened attacks on infrastructure in the context of the Iran conflict. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth put the costs of the war against Iran at 37.5 billion US dollars on Tuesday. The situation is being closely monitored by Washington, it was said.

International reactions and military threats

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said for his part that any attack on Iran would result in a powerful and determined response. The mutual threats and the parallel hotspots – the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, and the Iranian-American conflict course – leave, in the view of observers, no prospect of diplomatic rapprochement for the time being.

Saudi Arabia is considered the oldest strategic US partner in the region. This alliance is gaining additional weight in view of the announced Houthi blockade. At the same time, the escalation shows how vulnerable global energy routes remain, even if individual corridors appear temporarily secured by military operations.

Economic consequences of a blockade

The coming days will show whether the Houthis can put their threat into action and how international shipping will respond to the new risks. Shipping companies are likely to adjust their route planning, insurance premiums will rise, and world market prices for oil will come under further pressure if the blockade takes effect.

This news was broadcast on 22.07.2026 on Deutschlandfunk.

The article was written by Gudrun Harrer and dated 22 July 2026.