Houthis Close Bab al-Mandeb, Cutting Saudi Arabia's Last Open Oil Shipping Lane

Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb strait on July 20, 2026. Two Saudi crude tankers reversed course in the Red Sea on July 22. Saudi Arabia had rerouted millions of barrels daily through Bab al-Mandeb after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in April. Both principal Gulf shipping corridors are now degraded or closed.