Houthi Blockade Halves Saudi Oil Shipments, Putting Both Export Routes at Risk

Houthi fighters closed the Bab al-Mandeb strait — a narrow sea passage — and blockaded Saudi ports in July 2026. Saudi oil shipments fell about in half, per Kpler data; four tankers turned back before arriving. Saudi Arabia had built this route since March to avoid another chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz. Now both paths are threatened.