Yemen's Houthi fighters have claimed responsibility for attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, striking two Saudi vessels and warning ten others to turn back from the strategic Bab El Mandeb strait – a move that threatens to choke off the main maritime route from Europe to Asia and inflict further damage on the global economy.
The attacks mark a dramatic escalation in a region already reeling from 13 consecutive nights of US air strikes on Iranian targets. US Central Command said the strikes were aimed at "Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities" to reduce the threat Iran poses to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. But the Gulf Arab states, normally a haven of low-crime tranquility, have been forced to live with constant attacks from their well-armed neighbour.
“Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping threaten global trade as US-Iran strikes continue for 13th night”
Now the Houthis, an Iran-backed group in Yemen, have entered the fray. A 2022 ceasefire between the Houthis and neighbouring Saudi Arabia appears to have broken down. This week, two Saudi vessels were hit by missiles in the Red Sea, while the Houthis claim to have turned back ten others after warning ships to avoid Saudi ports. The Bab El Mandeb strait, which links the southern Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is a vital chokepoint for global trade.
The disruption comes on top of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which has already squeezed global energy and fertiliser supplies. Saudi Arabia had partially mitigated that blow by shipping millions of barrels of oil a day through its East-West Pipeline, from the oilfields of Eastern Province to the Red Sea terminal at Yanbu' Al-Bahr. From there, tankers could sail south past Yemen and through Bab El Mandeb to reach Asian customers. But with Houthi fighters now threatening vessels off their coast, that route is no longer safe.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to "take care of the Houthis", though details of any planned action remain unclear. The unfolding crisis has raised fears of a wider Middle Eastern conflict and further global economic disruption. For now, the world's shipping lanes are narrowing, and the cost of keeping them open is rising fast.