Houthis announce maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, a move that raised concern about a wider regional conflict and possible disruption to shipping and energy markets.

The Iran-backed group did not say how it would enforce the embargo. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the measure was effective immediately and described it as a response to Saudi actions against Houthi-controlled ports and airports and to the targeting of Sanaa airport. He said the Houthis would answer "the blockade with a blockade".

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the Houthi blockade and reaffirmed Riyadh's support for Yemen's Aden-based government. The announcement came after Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a truce that has largely held since 2022 despite its expiry.

The latest exchange followed an attempt by an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa. The Houthis blamed Riyadh for a strike on Sanaa airport, while Yemen's Aden-based government said the strike was launched to stop the Iranian aircraft from landing. For more than a decade, aircraft entering Yemeni airspace have required prior clearance from the Saudi-led coalition, which backs the Yemeni government and says it enforces the rule at the government's request.

The Houthi move also came as Iran said it was again in a full-scale war with the United States and as Washington and Tehran battled over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu has been important for oil exports because it can bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where renewed fighting has limited passage. The source said Saudi Arabia produces more than 10 million barrels of crude per day.

If enforced, the Houthi blockade could restrict access to Saudi Red Sea ports and put further pressure on global markets that rely on Saudi energy exports. The Houthis have previously attacked ships in the Red Sea and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for vessels travelling between Asia, the Gulf, Europe, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Those attacks, which began in November 2023 during the Gaza war, forced some vessels to take longer routes around Africa.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, warned that the Houthi threat could lead to an "even wider" regional conflict.

Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King's College London, said Iran could seek to activate pressure through the Bab al-Mandab route if US pressure weakens Iran around Hormuz, although he said the Houthis retain significant autonomy. He said simultaneous disruption at Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab would create a larger shock than either route being disrupted alone.

Mohammed al-Basha, of the US-based risk advisory Basha Report, said the announcement itself could disrupt shipping and create uncertainty for Saudi ports even if no ships are attacked. He said the key question was whether the Houthis would move from threats to direct action.

Later on Monday, Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, said work would begin on resuming Yemen's oil exports, but he did not explain what steps would be taken. The Houthis have been at war with Yemen's government since 2014, in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.