On 20 July, the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. It remains unclear whether the Houthis will limit their actions to threats against shipping off the coast of Yemen and in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, or seek to extend the pressure across the wider Red Sea.
Following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea has emerged as the main alternative route for oil and container flows serving the Gulf states. According to FDI Intelligence and Vizion, container traffic through the Port of Jeddah surged by 91% in April compared with February, rising from 85,000 to 162,000 TEU. The shift of trade towards Red Sea ports has helped partially offset the impact of the crisis in the Persian Gulf.
The embargo announced by the Houthis now threatens not only Saudi oil exports, but also the container flows that have been redirected through Jeddah and other Red Sea ports.
If the threats extend across the entire Red Sea, the region could lose its last major alternative corridor — one that has so far helped mitigate the impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
For global supply chains, this could mean longer transit times, higher freight costs and further disruption to already fragile logistics networks.
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