A Houthi spokesman said Friday that the rebels were not blocking traffic through the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, after they declared a maritime embargo this week on their foe Saudi Arabia.
The Iran-backed group attacked a Saudi ship in the nearby Red Sea after announcing the blockade, which threatens the top oil exporter’s ability to get its supplies to the world following Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the kingdom’s only other maritime route.
Global energy markets had already been rattled by renewed fighting between the US and Iran, and Brent crude briefly surged over $100 on Thursday after the Houthi attack.
“There is no closure of Bab al-Mandab as some are suggesting,” said Mohammed Abdusalam, who is also a top Houthi negotiator, adding that the rebel position was “limited to a maritime blockade that only affects the Saudi side”.
The rebels warned in a radio message to ships on Monday that they would target ships “belonging to (the) Saudi enemy” that do not comply with their blockade.
According to data analysed by AFP on Wednesday, nine ships made a U-turn after the rebels announced their naval blockade, though some have resumed course.
Despite the Houthi threats and course changes, traffic continues in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which has been key to Saudi exports after passage through Hormuz became fraught.
After the Middle East war broke out, Saudi seaborne crude exports via the Bab el-Mandeb strait surged eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to data from maritime tracker Kpler.
