Bab el-Mandeb closure took center stage after Yemen’s Houthi movement said it struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and warned it could target Saudi oil refineries next.
The group identified the vessels as the Encelia and the Layla. It said it used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in the attack. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sareea said the strikes caused massive fires on both tankers.
Sareea also said the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is now fully closed to all Saudi flagged tankers. Additionally, he said nearly 10 other vessels turned back and dropped their planned routes after the attack. He repeated the group’s blockade in exchange for blockade stance and said naval operations against Saudi Arabia would continue.
Bab el-Mandeb Closure Raises Shipping Risks
The Bab el-Mandeb closure marks a sharper step in the campaign against Saudi shipping. The source article said the move threatens to disrupt tanker traffic through a key route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. As a result, freight and insurance costs could rise if the closure holds.
The article also said some shippers may reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. Meanwhile, the strait serves as a major corridor for ships moving between Europe, the Suez Canal and Asian markets. The source added that repeated attacks in the area since 2023 had already pushed many carriers to use the longer route around southern Africa.
Threats Extend Beyond the Sea
In a separate statement, the Yemeni Armed Forces warned that any military action against Yemen would bring broad operations deep inside Saudi territory. Notably, the statement named oil refineries as possible targets. That warning widened the threat from shipping lanes to onshore energy sites.
The source article said this shift raises the stakes because Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. It also said the threat could add a new risk premium to crude prices. Attention now turns to any Saudi response and to whether the Houthis carry out their threat against energy infrastructure.
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Source: InvestingLive
