Ansarallah’s Naval Blockade Raises Stakes Across Regional Energy Corridors

The Iran-backed non-state armed group, the Houthis, declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in retaliation for what they called an unjust siege against Yemen. Energy security will face greater disruption following the announcement, as tensions at the Strait of Hormuz continue to rise. The blockade of Bab-el-Mandab is not a problem just for Saudi Arabia; instead, it will have effects beyond Saudi borders to international oil and energy security. 10-12% of global seaborne trade and a quarter of world container traffic pass through the Bab el Mandab daily; this siege will create economic problems for global actors.

The central question is no longer how much this blockade will harm Saudi Arabia, but whether it represents a pressure tactic or the beginning of a new strategy to use maritime chokepoints as a tool of strategic deterrence with significant economic and security consequences.

Bab al-Mandab is a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. This waterway facilitates the export of millions of barrels of crude oil and other shipments to the European and global markets.

The Strait of Hormuz has repeatedly demonstrated the fragility of maritime chokepoints, and Riyadh has invested in its east-west pipeline, which transports crude from the eastern province to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, providing an alternative route that bypasses the Gulf and an unstable security environment. However, this alternative route depends on the secure navigation of Bab-el-Mandab, as any security problem will undermine the effectiveness of the alternative route and expose the weakness in Saudi export infrastructure.

As one of the largest crude oil exporters, Saudi Arabia supplies 15-18% of China’s oil imports; India and Pakistan also depend on Saudi oil for their energy needs.  Any threat to the supply chain would cause an energy and economic crisis in Asia, increased petrol prices, oil shortages , and higher shipping costs. It would show that economic damage is not only caused by attacks on ships, but the prospect of a blockade is sufficient to create uncertainty and fear in the global market.

If the Houthis’ siege of Bab al Mandab escalates into another strategic coercion, the region’s maritime security will deteriorate significantly. For decades, policymakers viewed Bab al-Mandab as an alternative route, as the Strait of Hormuz is the Gulf’s primary vulnerability. By threatening the western corridor, Houthis show that regional conflicts can easily be dragged into the maritime domain, where a fear of attack can create an economic crisis.

It is still unclear whether this strategy is an independent effort to pressure Riyadh or part of a broader Axis of Resistance strategy. In any case, the pressure at both Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz should worry not just Gulf States, but any economy that relies on steady energy supplies.

In contemporary scenarios, a blockade may prove more effective as a coercive tool than direct military action. Whether it develops into another sustained strategy or an attempt at coercive diplomacy will depend on the response of Saudi Arabia, the mediation of Oman, and efforts of regional and global powers to prevent further escalation. The increasing vulnerability of Bab el-Mandeb demonstrates that maritime chokepoints in the Middle East have now become interdependent areas of geopolitical rivalries, where local disputes quickly translate into global economic ramifications. With the fight for dominance moving from the desert to the sea, maintaining freedom of navigation will prove equally important to settling the disputes that compromise it.