Have the Houthis blocked the Red Sea to marine traffic? | Explained
On July 25–26, 2026, the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) launched missile and drone strikes on Saudi Aramco-linked facilities at Jizan and export/loading infrastructure at Yanbu, both located on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast
The Jizan refinery, which processes roughly 400,000 barrels per day, was struck and reported to have caught fire; two ballistic missiles aimed at Yanbu's oil installations were intercepted by Patriot air-defence batteries
The strikes followed a declared Houthi blockade targeting vessels linked to Saudi ports, announced after the collapse of a prior ceasefire arrangement and renewed Saudi airstrikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah
Yanbu had become Saudi Arabia's primary alternative crude-export corridor after the Strait of Hormuz became a separate chokepoint of concern, meaning the attacks raised the prospect of both major regional oil corridors being disrupted simultaneously
Brent crude prices rose past the $100/barrel mark following the strikes, reflecting the market's assessment of supply risk
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait — Geography and Strategic Significance
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait ("Gate of Tears") is a narrow chokepoint connecting the Red Sea in the northwest to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean in the southeast, separating the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen) from the Horn of Africa (Djibouti and Eritrea). It is the southern gateway to the Suez Canal and forms part of the shortest maritime link between Asia, East Africa/the Mediterranean, and Europe.
Key Details
- Ranked among the world's busiest maritime chokepoints; roughly one-tenth of seaborne global oil trade and around one-fourth of global container trade transits the strait
- Bordering states: Yemen (north shore) and Djibouti/Eritrea (south shore), with Perim Island (Yemen) sitting within the strait
- Distinct from, but strategically linked to, the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a large share of global crude oil and LNG transits
- Around 95% of India's trade by volume moves by sea, and a significant share of India's exports to Europe and North Africa route through the Suez Canal–Bab-el-Mandeb corridor, making disruption here a direct concern for Indian trade and energy costs
The attacks on Aramco facilities and the announced blockade directly threaten shipping and energy traffic through this corridor, which is separate from but complementary to the Strait of Hormuz as a global energy chokepoint.
India's Naval Response — Operation Sankalp
Operation Sankalp is the Indian Navy's ongoing mission, launched in June 2019, to secure the maritime domain in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and adjoining waters — including protection of Indian-flagged and Indian-interest merchant shipping, anti-piracy patrols, and safeguarding sea lines of communication.
Key Details
- Extended and reinforced amid escalating Houthi attacks on commercial shipping since late 2023, during which the Houthis targeted dozens of vessels with missiles and drones
- The Indian Navy has maintained anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, and has been described as maintaining the largest naval presence in the region among extra-regional powers, ahead of the US, France, and China, during recent tensions
- Notable operation: in March 2024, Indian Navy warships intercepted the hijacked vessel MV Ruen, rescuing the crew and securing the surrender of the pirates aboard
- Reflects India's broader "net security provider" posture in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), distinct from any direct role in the Yemen conflict itself
Renewed Houthi attacks close to the Bab-el-Mandeb approach raise the operational relevance of India's standing naval deployment for protecting shipping lanes critical to India's trade and energy imports.
Yemen Conflict Background and the Houthi Movement
The Houthis (formally Ansar Allah) are a Zaidi Shia-rooted armed political movement that has controlled much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014–15, triggering a Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015. The movement is aligned with Iran within the wider regional "Axis of Resistance" grouping.
Key Details
- UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) demanded that Houthi forces withdraw from areas seized, including Sanaa, and imposed an arms embargo on named Houthi leaders
- A UN-brokered truce in 2022 substantially reduced large-scale fighting before recent escalations reopened hostilities in the Red Sea theatre
- Since late 2023, Houthi attacks on shipping have been publicly framed by the group as linked to the Gaza conflict, later broadening into direct exchanges with Saudi Arabia and, more recently, into the wider regional Iran-related conflict referenced in current reporting
- India has maintained a policy of not taking sides in the Yemen conflict while prioritising the safety of Indian nationals and shipping interests in the region
The Jizan/Yanbu strikes mark an escalation from ship-targeting to direct attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, reflecting the widening of a conflict that began as a Yemen civil war into a broader Red Sea and regional security concern.
- Jizan refinery capacity: approximately 400,000 barrels per day
- Brent crude crossed $100/barrel following the July 25–26, 2026 strikes
- Bab-el-Mandeb Strait carries an estimated ~10% of global seaborne oil trade and ~25% of global container trade
- Indian Navy's Operation Sankalp: ongoing since June 2019; anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 2008
- UNSC Resolution 2216 (2015): demanded Houthi withdrawal from Sanaa and other seized areas, imposed targeted arms embargo
- Around 95% of India's trade by volume is seaborne