Yemen's Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah and backed by Tehran, announced on Monday a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. The decision, framed as retaliation for a Saudi-led blockade on Yemen and a recent strike on Sana'a International Airport, threatens to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait — a chokepoint for roughly 12% of global trade. For European economies reliant on Red Sea shipping lanes, the implications are immediate and severe.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree declared the embargo in a video statement, describing it as an "eye for an eye" measure. The group did not specify enforcement mechanisms, but deputy head of the Houthi media office Nasruddin Amer posted on X that the Bab el-Mandeb strait would be closed in response to what he called Saudi Arabia's "unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years."
A Strategic Waterway Under Threat
The Bab el-Mandeb strait, whose name translates to "Gate of Tears" in Arabic, sits at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. At just 32 kilometres wide, it funnels a quarter of global container traffic between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. A closure would force vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding two to three weeks to journeys and sharply increasing shipping costs — a scenario that would hit European importers and exporters hard.
The Houthis have already demonstrated their capacity to disrupt this route. During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, they targeted over 100 ships in a months-long campaign, prompting many major shipping companies to suspend Red Sea transits. The United States and several allies launched a multinational naval mission to protect commercial shipping, but the Houthis' latest threat targets Saudi Arabia directly. The EU has also strengthened its Red Sea naval mission in response to the ongoing instability.
It remains unclear whether the Houthis will resume attacks at the same intensity against their northern neighbour. Saudi Arabia has not yet responded publicly, but the kingdom faces additional pressure as it relies on its East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. That strait remains under a blockade Tehran imposed after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, part of a broader escalation that has seen oil prices surge.
Escalation After a Fragile Truce
Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sana'a and much of the north, forcing the internationally recognised government into exile. A truce brokered in 2022 has held tenuously, but recent events have frayed it further. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sana'a airport in an attempt to target a flight carrying Houthi leaders returning from Iran, where they attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The plane landed safely at another airport.
In response, the Houthis launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport — the most significant confrontation in years. By allowing a direct international flight to land without Saudi-led coalition approval, the Houthis sought to assert independent control over Yemen's airspace. The coalition has long restricted access to Yemen's airports and ports, citing the need to prevent weapons from reaching the rebels, while the Houthis argue these measures amount to collective punishment.
"We affirm the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade," Saree emphasised on Monday. He added that the Houthis are prepared to confront "any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy ... with a comprehensive and decisive escalation."
Broader Regional and European Implications
The Houthis are a key component of Iran's so-called "Axis of Resistance," which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and militias in Iraq. Their ability to threaten a major global shipping lane has direct consequences for European energy security and supply chains. European nations, already grappling with high inflation and energy costs, could face further disruptions if the Bab el-Mandeb closure materialises.
The rebels have a large stockpile of drones, but several Houthi members previously told media that supplies were running low after their attacks during the Israel-Hamas war. The ongoing Iran war has further impeded the flow of weapons, according to those members, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The US and Israel responded to the earlier Houthi shipping attacks with a punishing air campaign across Houthi-held areas in Yemen until a deal was reached that halted the assaults.
For now, the situation remains volatile. The Houthi threat to close Bab el-Mandeb adds a new layer of risk to an already tense region, with European policymakers watching closely as they weigh the need to protect trade routes and maintain diplomatic engagement.
