Tankers divert as Houthis threaten attacks on Saudi Red Sea ports

Yemen’s Houthi militia has warned shipping companies that tankers risk being attacked if they use Saudi Arabian ports, prompting at least two vessels to abruptly reverse course. Oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns on Tuesday away from the Houthi-controlled coast and headed towards the Suez Canal.

The sudden diversions threaten to drag Saudi oil exports into a regional conflict that had previously left them unscathed. The Bab el-Mandeb strait, which the militia controls from the Yemeni side, handles 7% of global maritime traffic. Any sustained restriction at this chokepoint, combined with Iranian threats on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula at the Strait of Hormuz, would strike directly at the 25% of global oil and gas shipments that pass through both waterways.

Allison Minor, a Middle East expert at the Atlantic Council, noted the immediate danger to energy markets. “The Houthis have not yet clarified which ships they will target, but their intent to blockade Saudi ports implies that any ship visiting Saudi ports and carrying Saudi oil would be in the crosshairs,” she said. She warned that previous Houthi exemptions for Chinese vessels might not apply if those ships were carrying Saudi crude.

The group told companies in an email on Monday that loading or discharging cargo at Saudi ports could result in a vessel being targeted “in any location” within its reach. “We strongly recommend that your company exercise due diligence and the utmost care in all its dealings,” the message stated. Between 2023 and 2025, Houthi attacks using small boats, drones and missiles hit over 100 commercial ships, rendering the 20-mile-wide strait too risky for most shippers.

The blockade serves as an extension of Iranian strategy to throttle global energy supplies in retaliation for American strikes on its infrastructure. Tehran has pressed the militia to close the waterway as a counterweight to US efforts to block Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington is weighing its response as the conflict enters its tenth day. Donald Trump said the US would “just have to take care of business” if the Houthis followed through on their threats. “You know, we’ve done that with the Houthis before, and we haven’t heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally,” he said. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington remained open to negotiating with Tehran but stressed “it has to be real”, as reports emerged the administration might seek a 10-day ceasefire to revive a collapsed interim deal.