In brief
On the day a Houthi‑linked group announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, at least seven tanker and cargo ships made sharp U‑turns off the coast of Yemen. All vessels were headed to or from Saudi ports and altered their courses after the embargo announcement, signalling a new threat to the Red Sea corridor that handles nearly 15% of world sea trade. Experts warn that if the Houthis tighten their blockade, oil prices could rise as merchant shipping and freight rates surge. Maritime authorities and the EU navy are urging vessels linked to Israeli, US or Saudi interests to avoid the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the danger level eases. The incident follows the Houthis’ history of disrupting the Bab al‑Mandab Strait and raises concerns about the future of global oil transport – especially after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively shut in the last year.
When the Iran‑linked Houthi group announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, at least seven oil tankers made sudden U‑turns near Yemen, effectively abandoning their courses toward West Asian ports.
All the vessels were on a run to or from Saudi ports; as soon as the embargo was publicised, they changed direction sharply to head away from the Bab al‑Mandab Strait.
The Red Sea, which shuttles between the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden, carries almost 15% of worldwide sea trade, with its two choke points – the Suez Canal and the Bab al‑Mandab – being critical to oil transport. Closing the Strait of Hormuz last year forced Saudi Arabia to redirect a large share of its crude through the Red Sea, an action that has helped cushion global markets during regional tensions.
According to Rosemary Kelanic of the US‑based Defense Priorities think‑tank, a further Houthi restriction could push oil prices higher. She warned that any attacks on vessels in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden would suppress all international traffic, not just Saudi‑bound ships.
Before the embargo announcement, 20 vessels entered the Red Sea and 22 exited via the Bab al‑Mandab, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
In response, the EU’s naval force Aspides issued a recommendation that merchant vessels linked to Israeli, US or Saudi interests steer clear of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level falls, a directive that was released to Reuters early on Wednesday.
Ship‑tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the crude oil tanker Rodos, carrying Saudi crude, steered south towards the Bab al‑Mandab but, roughly nine hours later, made a rapid U‑turn and resumed sailing north. Another vessel, the army‑flagged oil and chemical tanker Mica, launched from Saudi Arabia’s Jazan port, also swung from southbound to northbound. In total, at least eight ships set for the Red Sea reversed course rather than entering the Bab al‑Mandab Strait from south of the strait. In the Gulf of Aden, the Marshall Islands‑flagged vehicle carrier Liu Jiang Kou, heading to Jeddah, and a Hong Kong‑flagged crude oil tanker named New Prime, traveling from China to Saudi Arabia, both reversed course and are now pausing in the Arabian Sea.
While each ship’s motives remain unclear, the timing aligns precisely with the embargo announcement, said Vanguard, a maritime risk‑management company.
In an email sent Monday, the Houthis warned that "vessels are banned from loading or discharging cargo at any Saudi ports" and that ships could be targeted anywhere within the Houthi operational reach.
The Houthi‑imposed embargo is a retaliation against a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Yemen, according to the rebels themselves. Saudi officials have condemned the claim and vowed to "take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law."
Yemen has seen decades of conflict since 2014 when the Houthis seized its capital, Sanaa, and now faces a Saudi‑led coalition counter‑offensive. While a ceasefire existed since 2022, the Houthis fired missiles at a southwestern Saudi airport weeks earlier, in retaliation for strikes on Sanaa’s airport.
Houthis have previously shut down the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, a 32‑km (20‑mile) passage critical to shipping. Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, they have also been attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sinking four ships, seizing one vessel and claiming nine crew deaths.
Faced with a closed Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia shipped more than 70% of its crude through a pipeline to its western Red Sea port, Yanbu, a move that has increased daily flows from around 973,000 barrels to over 4 million barrels according to Kpler and Signal Ocean data.
"If the Bab al‑Mandab is effectively closed, the only other option for the Saudis would be to ferry oil through the Mediterranean and around the southern tip of Africa," said Naveen Das, a senior oil analyst at Kpler. He added that the blockade could lift freight rates and energy prices for weeks, potentially spilling into higher consumer costs. Shipping companies are broadcasting armed guard messages to deter attacks – a practice that has emerged since the Houthis began targeting vessels during the Gaza war. Data from MarineTraffic indicates at least 50 ships in the region are now saying they have armed guards aboard.
Martin Kelly from EOS Risk Group warned that captains might fear "the Houthis might read your situation wrong" and misinterpret a past call‑stop at a Saudi port as a potential risk for attack, adding that many of these large crude carriers could suffer catastrophic losses, including loss of life.
