Gulf shipping traffic down after Houthis say they attacked Saudi tanker
Yemen's Houthi movement announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, targeting Saudi-flagged and Saudi-bound oil tankers
The Houthis stated they carried out a missile strike on a Saudi oil tanker, adding to a series of attacks on Saudi vessels since the blockade began
The blockade was declared in response to an attack on Sanaa's airport, which the Houthis attribute to Saudi Arabia, an allegation Riyadh has denied
Shipping traffic through the Gulf and Red Sea corridor has declined as vessels reroute or suspend transit to avoid the affected waters
The disruption adds to existing volatility in Red Sea shipping lanes, a critical corridor for global energy and container trade
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait — A Global Chokepoint
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait separates the Horn of Africa (Djibouti/Eritrea) from the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen), connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world's key maritime chokepoints for oil, gas, and container trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Key Details
- Along with the Suez Canal and the SUMED pipeline, Bab-el-Mandeb forms the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia; blockage forces vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly 6,000 nautical miles and 14-20 days of transit
- It ranks among the world's busiest chokepoints for petroleum and LNG shipments, alongside the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca
- Geographically it lies at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, bordered by Yemen (Houthi-controlled areas) on the Asian side and Djibouti/Eritrea on the African side
- UPSC map-based questions frequently test identification and comparison of chokepoints: Hormuz (Persian Gulf-Gulf of Oman), Bab-el-Mandeb (Red Sea-Gulf of Aden), Malacca (Indian Ocean-South China Sea)
The Houthi blockade directly targets shipping through this chokepoint, illustrating how a localised conflict can disrupt one of the world's principal maritime trade arteries.
India's Maritime Security Interests and Operation Sankalp
India depends heavily on secure sea lanes through the Red Sea-Bab-el-Mandeb-Suez corridor and the Persian Gulf-Hormuz corridor for crude oil imports, fertilizer imports, and trade with Europe and Africa, making instability in these waters a direct economic security concern.
Key Details
- Operation Sankalp, launched by the Indian Navy on 19 June 2019, deploys warships to safeguard Indian-flagged vessels and maintain freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters amid regional tensions
- The Indian Navy has separately maintained anti-piracy and escort patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, protecting merchant shipping including Indian-flagged vessels transiting toward the Red Sea
- Persistent Red Sea disruptions push shipping lines to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, raising freight costs and insurance premiums (war-risk cover) for India-bound and India-origin cargo
- India's crude oil imports and trade with Europe/West Asia are especially exposed given the volume of traffic through this corridor
The blockade's effect on Gulf shipping traffic has a bearing on Indian trade costs and energy security, making Indian Navy deployments and freedom-of-navigation operations in the region strategically relevant.
Yemen Conflict and the Houthi Movement
The Houthis (Ansar Allah), a Zaidi Shia-led armed movement based in northern Yemen, have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa and large parts of the country since 2014-15, fighting a Saudi-led coalition that intervened to support the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
Key Details
- The Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen began in March 2015 in support of the government against Houthi advances
- The Houthis have periodically targeted shipping in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb, initially framed (2023-24) as actions in solidarity with Gaza against Israel-linked vessels, later expanding to direct confrontation with Saudi Arabia
- UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982) enshrines freedom of navigation on the high seas and through international straits, a principle repeatedly invoked by international actors when strait-based blockades or attacks occur
- Escalation in this theatre has drawn statements of concern from external powers, given the risk of wider regional conflict and disruption to global energy markets
The current blockade is a new phase of the long-running Yemen conflict, shifting from Houthi actions against Gaza-linked shipping to a direct confrontation with Saudi Arabia via attacks on its tankers.
- Bab-el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, bordered by Yemen and Djibouti/Eritrea
- Blockade bypass via Cape of Good Hope adds approximately 6,000 nautical miles and 14-20 days of transit time
- Operation Sankalp launched by the Indian Navy: June 19, 2019, focused on the Strait of Hormuz
- Saudi-led coalition intervention in Yemen began: March 2015
- UNCLOS, governing freedom of navigation through international straits, was adopted in 1982
- Multiple Saudi tankers have reportedly been struck or forced to turn back since the blockade was declared, per Houthi claims