Saudi Arabia slams Houthi blockade: How will rest of the world be impacted?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia condemned a Houthi announcement of a maritime blockade on the kingdom, a move that could threaten Saudi oil exports at a time when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already been disrupted during the US-Israel war on Iran. The Saudi Foreign Ministry rejected Houthi accusations that Riyadh was besieging Yemen and said it would take “all necessary measures” to protect Saudi vessels.

The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, said Monday that the embargo was a response to what they described as a long-running Saudi blockade of Yemen. Al Jazeera said it was not yet clear how the group would try to enforce the blockade or whether it would resume attacks on international shipping near Yemen’s coast. The group previously disrupted vessels around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with those attacks ending after a Gaza “ceasefire” was announced in October 2025.

The development matters because Saudi Arabia has been relying more heavily on Red Sea routes, including the Bab al-Mandeb, to move oil as Gulf shipping faces pressure. Al Jazeera cited data showing the strait is a key route for global oil and refined products, while Saudi shipments from Yanbu on the Red Sea have risen sharply in recent weeks.

The article said major Asian buyers of Saudi crude, including China, South Korea, Japan and India, could face higher costs if flows are interrupted. An analyst interviewed by Al Jazeera warned that a sustained blockade would damage oil markets and add inflationary pressure in Asian and Western economies.