Houthi Red Sea Blockade Threatens Saudi Oil Flow to Asia

Houthis declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia on July 20, 2026, turning back Red Sea crude tankers bound for China and India within a day. Attacks on Saudi oil sites followed on July 24, damaging a depot. About five million barrels daily pass through the vulnerable Yanbu terminal. A 2022 truce, reached after seven years of failed Saudi bombing, has now collapsed.