Houthis Ban Israeli Ships in Red Sea, Threatening 1 Key Oil Route

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 12

Yahya Saree, the Houthi spokesperson, said the group has imposed a “complete and total” ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea and will treat such movements as legitimate targets.
The threat lands as the Bab el-Mandeb route has become more critical for Middle East oil flows to Asia because the Strait of Hormuz is no longer functioning as the main shipping corridor, raising risks to supply chains.
The U.S. State Department called the move an unacceptable escalation by Iran and its Houthi proxies and said Washington will work with partners to protect freedom of navigation in both waterways.
Edmund Fitton-Brown said the Houthis appear to be trying to exploit U.S. political nerves and market volatility; if attacks resume at full intensity, he said, Israeli and U.S. strikes on Sanaa and Hodeida would likely follow.
The report also casts Ethiopia, with about 130 million people, as a key U.S. counterterrorism partner near the Red Sea corridor even as it maintains limited ties with Iran.