Map: Iran's Ally Poised to Choke Additional 10 Percent of Oil Trade by Sea
Houthi advances have "serious implications for Saudi Arabia, regional security and global energy markets," one expert warned.
A powerful Yemeni alliance, Ansar Allah, is on the verge of disrupting an additional 10 percent of global oil trade by sea. Their control of Yemen's Red Sea coast has made the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime corridor linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, vulnerable to their influence. At its narrowest point, the strait is only 16 miles wide, and Ansar Allah has previously demonstrated their ability to halt global shipping from afar.
With the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces retreating, a blockade spearheaded by Ansar Allah's missiles and drones threatens to impede the flow of around 8.1 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate, and petroleum products. This constitutes a significant 10 percent of the world's maritime oil trade, rendering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait crucial for global energy markets.
Hisham al-Omeisy, a Yemeni analyst, highlighted that Ansar Allah does not require complete control of the strait to cause disruptions. They merely need to make it dangerous for shipping companies, resulting in higher insurance costs, longer delivery times, and ultimately, higher prices. Furthermore, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is also a major gateway for 30 percent of the world's container traffic, making its blockade a significant threat to global trade.
The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, another vital shipping route, combined with the potential closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, could have devastating consequences for Saudi Arabia, which is already facing threats from Iran to the east, its ally in Iraq to the north, and Ansar Allah to the south and west.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
