Houthi Naval Blockade

The Yemeni Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015. On July 20, 2026, the Iran-aligned rebels declared a naval blockade against Saudi ships, justifying it with an alleged siege lasting nearly twelve years and an attack on the airport in Sanaa. The threat comes in the middle of the US-Iran war and hits the world's largest oil producer on a second maritime flank, since Saudi Arabia had already rerouted exports through the Red Sea because of the Hormuz crisis. Riyadh condemned the announcement, and the military coalition vowed a firm response.

Al Jazeera · Bloomberg · Reuters (Daily Maverick)