Houthis Deploy Missiles, Drones Near Bab el-Mandeb as 3.5 Million Bpd Saudi Route Comes Under Threat
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 22
Houthis Deploy Missiles, Drones Near Bab el-Mandeb as 3.5 Million Bpd Saudi Route Comes Under Threat
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 22
Summary
JMIC warned Tuesday that the Houthis have finished preparations to attack shipping near Bab el-Mandeb, with missiles and drones positioned around the southern Red Sea chokepoint.
The move follows the group's Monday maritime embargo declaration against Saudi Arabia, targeting a route that carried 3.5 million barrels per day from Yanbu in June, up from 240,000 bpd a year earlier.
No attacks were reported in the past two days, and JMIC kept the threat level at moderate, saying commercial vessels were still using established lanes without disruption.
Traffic still showed strain: Kpler recorded a 34% drop in Bab el-Mandeb transits on Tuesday, and Windward said four tankers carrying 3.8 million barrels of Saudi cargo turned back before the strait.
The warning adds to a wider maritime crisis as Iran intensifies tanker attacks around Hormuz, where 12 ships have been hit since July 6, killing two seafarers and injuring more than a dozen.
How will this dual chokepoint crisis permanently reshape global energy maps and supply chains?
With two key straits threatened, what is the breaking point for a larger international military intervention?
Can diplomacy work if Iran ties Red Sea peace to its wider proxy conflicts across the Middle East?
Global Oil Shock Looms: Houthi Embargo at Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz Closure Disrupt 7% of Supply
Overview
In July 2026, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared an immediate embargo against Saudi Arabia, vowing to enforce a strict 'eye for an eye, blockade for blockade' policy. This move created a direct and urgent threat to maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping route. The potential shutdown of this strait by the Houthis poses a severe risk to global energy markets, as it would significantly disrupt oil flows and could cut global oil supply by 7%. As a result, most Saudi oil exports would be unable to leave the region, escalating the crisis.