{
  "id": 6599094,
  "title": "Oil prices hit $105 per barrel as Houthis seize key Red Sea port",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/oil-prices-hit-105-per-barrel-as-houthis-seize-key-red-sea-port-6599094",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T14:15:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2026/09/10/oil-prices-hit-105-per-barrel-as-houthis-seize-key-red-sea-port/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Oil prices skyrocketed on Thursday, reaching $105 per barrel, as the Houthi rebels seized control of the crucial Yemeni Red Sea port of Mokha. This move gives the Iran-backed group increased access to the Bab Al Mandeb strait, a vital waterway that carries around 10% of the world's oil shipments. Brent crude, which serves as the benchmark for two-thirds of global oil, rose 4.12% to $105.4 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, representing US crude, jumped 4.29% to $100.20 a barrel. Sasha Foss, an energy analyst at CSC Commodities, expressed concern over the Houthi rebels' advances, stating that they are unsettling the oil market and threatening the flow of oil through the Red Sea. Given that the Strait of Hormuz is already partially blocked, this development poses significant risks. The Bab Al Mandeb strait is of particular importance to Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, as most of its oil exports to Asia pass through the 20km-wide channel. The Houthis have previously imposed a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia and have targeted ships passing through the strait. In response, Saudi Arabia has rerouted its oil shipments through the Mediterranean. The Strait of Hormuz remains under siege due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict, with both nations intensifying attacks on tankers, which has led to a sharp decline in the number of vessels navigating the strait.",
  "summary": "Oil prices surged on Thursday to cross $105 per barrel as supply concerns grew after the Houthi rebels seized the key Yemeni Red Sea port of Mokha, near the Bab Al Mandeb strait. The development gives the Iran-backed group greater control of the strait, a key waterway through which about 10 per cent of global oil supplies flow. Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's oil, was up 4.12…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Saudi says no danger after Khamis Mushait alert amid clashes with Houthis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/saudi-says-no-danger-after-khamis-mushait-alert-amid-clashes-with",
        "published": "2026-09-10T05:50:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Houthis seize Yemen's Mokha port on the Red Sea as attacks on Saudi Arabia escalate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/houthis-seize-yemens-mokha-port-on-the-red-sea-as-attacks-on-saudi",
        "published": "2026-09-10T10:18:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "Oil choke points multiply as Houthis seize Mocha",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/oil-choke-points-multiply-as-houthis-seize-mocha",
        "published": "2026-09-10T13:38:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Arabian Business",
        "title": "Houthis seize key Red Sea port as Saudi shipping threatened and oil jumps above $105",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/houthis-seize-key-red-sea-port-as-saudi-shipping-threatened-and-oil",
        "published": "2026-09-11T00:05:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}