Houthis announce blockade of Saudi Arabia, ships reroute to avoid Bab al Mandeb Strait

July 22, 2026 | FDD's Long War Journal
Houthis announce blockade of Saudi Arabia, ships reroute to avoid Bab al Mandeb Strait
July 22, 2026 | FDD's Long War Journal
Houthis announce blockade of Saudi Arabia, ships reroute to avoid Bab al Mandeb Strait
The Houthis announced a complete maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. In response, a growing number of vessels are rerouting to avoid the Bab al Mandeb Strait, the southern Red Sea chokepoint near Houthi-controlled territory, demonstrating that the shipping industry is taking the threat seriously. However, the Houthis have not yet targeted vessels or port infrastructure to enforce their blockade.
On July 16, Reuters reported that Iranian leadership had told the Houthis to close Bab al Mandeb if the US struck Iranian power infrastructure. After President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power grid in a July 15 interview, Iranian officials accused him of following through on the threat overnight on July 17. However, the Houthis are portraying the blockade as a response to Saudi-imposed air and maritime blockades, which have been in place for roughly a decade to stop support to the Iran-backed terror group during the Yemeni civil war.
In June, Saudi Arabian oil exports via the Red Sea averaged roughly 4 million barrels per day (bpd). In total, about 7 percent of the global oil output (7.4 million bpd) transited the critical waterway, according to the maritime intelligence firm Kpler, up from 4.2 million bpd in 2025.
The Houthis followed their announcement with an email to shippers that, according to Reuters, said, “Vessels are banned from loading or discharging cargo at or from any Saudi ports.” The message went on to threaten that vessels transporting Saudi cargo “may be subject to targeting in any location within the operational reach of the Yemeni Armed Forces.”
“The criminal Saudi enemy continues its unjust and brutal siege on our dear people for nearly twelve years — plundering wealth and imposing a comprehensive blockade on ports and airports by land, sea, and air — which has worsened the suffering of our dear people until conditions reached an unbearable level, without any right or justification for doing so,” Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saree stated in an announcement of the maritime blockade.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement declaring that “the Kingdom is, at the same time, taking all necessary measures to protect its ships.” The statement also denounced Houthi claims that Saudi Arabia contributes to the suffering of Yemenis, noting Saudi support for the internationally recognized government of Yemen.
Since early July, the Houthis and Iran have attempted to break the Saudi air blockade against the Houthis and portray it as oppression. Currently, vetted civilian and humanitarian flights are permitted to Houthi-controlled territory, but no direct access is allowed between Yemen’s Houthi-controlled airports and Iran. On July 13, Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from returning the Houthi delegation to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral. In response, the Houthis launched drones and missiles at Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, all of which were intercepted.
On July 21, the Houthis announced a campaign on X in support of the blockade, calling for people to post with the hashtags “siege for siege” and “escalation for escalation.”
Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.

Facts Only

* The Houthis announced a complete maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20.
* Vessels are rerouting to avoid the Bab al Mandeb Strait in response.
* The Houthis threatened that vessels transporting Saudi cargo may be subject to targeting by Yemeni Armed Forces.
* Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saree stated the siege has worsened suffering due to a blockade imposed for nearly twelve years.
* Saudi Arabia stated it is taking necessary measures to protect its ships and denounced Houthi claims about Saudi contribution to Yemenis' suffering.
* Vessels are banned from loading or discharging cargo at or from any Saudi ports, according to an email sent by the Houthis.
* Houthis attempted to break the Saudi air blockade; vetted civilian/humanitarian flights are permitted to Houthi territory, but no direct access to Iran is allowed.
* Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport on July 13 to prevent an Iranian plane from returning a delegation.
* The Houthis launched drones and missiles at Abha International Airport in response to the strike, which were intercepted.
* Houthis announced a campaign on X calling for "siege for siege" and "escalation for escalation" on July 21.
* Saudi Arabian oil exports via the Red Sea averaged approximately 4 million barrels per day (bpd) in June.
* About 7 percent of global oil output (7.4 million bpd) transited the critical waterway, according to Kpler maritime intelligence.

Executive Summary

The Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, prompting a response from various shipping vessels rerouting to avoid the Bab al Mandeb Strait. The Houthis stated that vessels are banned from loading or discharging cargo at Saudi ports and threatened that vessels transporting Saudi cargo could be targeted by Yemeni Armed Forces. This action is framed by Yemen as a response to a long-standing siege imposed by Saudi Arabia, which they describe as an unjust and brutal action against the Yemeni people. Saudi Arabia countered by stating it was taking necessary measures to protect its ships and denounced Houthi claims regarding Saudi contribution to Yemeni suffering, noting Saudi support for the internationally recognized government of Yemen. Furthermore, there is ongoing friction concerning air routes: while vetted civilian and humanitarian flights are permitted to Houthi-controlled territory, direct access between Yemeni and Iranian airports is prohibited. Recent incidents include a strike by Saudi Arabia on Sanaa International Airport and subsequent missile/drone attacks by the Houthis against Abha International Airport.

Full Take

The narrative establishes a complex conflict where maritime actions are presented as reciprocal responses to perceived historical oppression. The key tension lies in the framing: the Houthis frame their actions as retaliation against a long-standing Saudi siege, while Saudi Arabia frames its response as necessary protection of its interests and support for the Yemeni government. This dynamic suggests an entrenched position where both sides use kinetic and logistical control to enforce geopolitical objectives, rather than pursuing negotiated resolution. The repeated referencing of blockades and air strikes, including actions targeting airports, illustrates a system reliant on asymmetrical pressure. The mobilization of commercial shipping around the Bab al Mandeb Strait demonstrates the immediate economic consequence of these disputes, showing that even commercial transit is subject to this tension. A crucial underlying pattern is the use of historical grievances—the decade-long siege mentioned by the Houthis—to justify current escalations, which serves to solidify internal coherence for the actors involved regardless of external justification. The lack of direct information on the motivation behind the rerouting versus the threat signals suggests a deliberate strategy of escalating visible conflict while maintaining plausible deniability regarding ultimate intent. What is obscured is the underlying distribution of power and who bears the weight of the economic disruptions. What further research would clarify the relative utility of maritime versus aerial pressure in achieving long-term political goals for all parties involved?

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

This text functions as a synthesized report detailing complex geopolitical events, employing multiple cited sources and varied perspectives typical of high-level geopolitical journalism.

Signals Detected

Sentence length variance shows natural variation; the tone shifts between factual reporting and quoting.

The text successfully navigates complex, often contradictory geopolitical claims with appropriate framing rather than monolithic certainty.

Attribution is varied (Reuters, Kpler, official statements, spokesman quotes), suggesting sourcing from multiple, distinct channels.

Specific dates and attributed actions (e.g., July 20 announcement, specific oil figures) require external cross-verification but do not immediately signal LLM confabulation.

Human Indicators

The integration of specific, temporally ordered events involving multiple state actors (Houthis, Iran, Saudi Arabia) and precise figures suggests source compilation rather than pure generation.

The use of emotionally charged language within direct quotes (e.g., the Yemeni spokesman's statement) layered with neutral reporting is characteristic of journalistic synthesis.