Houthis Block Key Sea Route, Cutting Off Saudi Arabia's Last Oil Export Path

Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade — a ban on ships — at the Bab al-Mandeb strait on July 20, 2026. Two Saudi oil tankers turned back in the Red Sea on July 22. Saudi Arabia had already rerouted its oil there after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in April. Both major Gulf sea routes are now blocked or disrupted.