Houthis Say Bab al-Mandeb Strait Is Not Blocked After Red Sea Shipping Threat

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing AFP, a Houthi spokesman said the group had not blocked traffic through the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait after announcing this week a maritime blockade on enemy states, including Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed group said its position was limited to a sea blockade affecting the Saudi side only, in response to what it called Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-controlled areas. The statement came after the Houthis attacked a Saudi vessel in the nearby Red Sea. The group said on radio Monday that it would attack ships belonging to the enemy unless they complied with the blockade order. AFP said data it analyzed on Wednesday showed nine ships turned back after the Houthis announced the blockade, although some later resumed course. The Houthis' attack has added to turbulence in global energy markets as clashes between Iran and the United States flare again. Brent crude briefly surged above USD 100 a barrel on Thursday. Separately, Kpler data cited by AFP showed that Saudi Arabia's seaborne crude exports through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait from March 2026 to mid-July 2026 were eight times higher than in the same period in 2025 after war broke out in the Middle East.