Is it going to follow Iran’s example and choke off the vitality of Middle East crude oil? Yemeni government warns: Houthis may control Bab el-Mandeb Strait
As tensions in the Middle East continue, in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, another vital source of crude oil supply from the Middle East may soon be strangled. A Yemeni government official warned on Monday that the Houthis could emulate Iran's strategy in the Strait of Hormuz to take control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. According to reports from CCTV News and other media, the Yemeni government stated on the 27th that the Houthi armed forces may "imitate Iran" and control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another international energy transportation artery in the Middle East, and that the Yemeni government has been "prepared" for a possible escalation of the conflict.
As tensions in the Middle East continue, in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, another vital source of crude oil supply from the Middle East may soon be strangled. A Yemeni government official warned on Monday that the Houthis could emulate Iran's strategy in the Strait of Hormuz to take control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. According to reports from CCTV News and other media, the Yemeni government stated on the 27th that the Houthi armed forces may "imitate Iran" and control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another international energy transportation artery in the Middle East, and that the Yemeni government has been "prepared" for a possible escalation of the conflict. It is reported that Afra al-Zuba, the Yemeni government’s foreign minister-designate, said at the Yemeni Embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, that the Houthis are following Iran’s strategy in the Strait of Hormuz and trying to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which will block the two major shipping lanes in the Middle East at the same time. "Ultimately, we are prepared to deal with any escalation," Zuba said. "The Houthis want to replicate Iran's experience in the Strait of Hormuz." "They think they can control the Red Sea," she added. A few hours ago, the Houthi armed forces said they dispatched multiple drones to attack Saudi Arabia's crude oil transportation network infrastructure in response to "Saudi drones violating Yemeni airspace." The Bab el-Mandeb Strait guards the southern end of the Red Sea and is the "throat" connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Together with the Suez Canal, it forms the "south gate and north entrance" of the Red Sea waterway. Due to the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea has become an important alternative channel for Middle East crude oil exports, especially Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports. Before the Houthi armed blockade, Saudi Arabia exported approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil daily through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. However, serious conflicts have broken out again between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi armed forces in Yemen in recent days, putting the Red Sea waterway in crisis. Yemen's Houthis said on Monday they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and later warned international shipping companies that ships trading with Saudi ports could face military strikes. The Houthis announced on the 23rd that they would use missiles and drones to attack two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea that violated their embargo. On the 26th, the organization also stated that it had attacked three Saudi oil tankers in the past 48 hours. According to data from international market services organization Kepler, within six days after the Houthi armed forces attacked Saudi oil tankers, traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait dropped by nearly 50% compared with the average level before the attack. In addition, data released by shipping tracking agency Kpler on Monday showed that only 11 commodity cargo ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait last Sunday (July 26), the lowest level in months. The latest news is that many oil tankers went to Egyptian ports to receive Saudi oil to avoid risks in the Red Sea. The Houthi armed forces have previously emphasized that the recently announced maritime blockade measures "only target Saudi Arabia." Mohamed Abdulsalam, the spokesperson of the organization, issued a statement on social media on the 24th, saying that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has not been closed, and that the maritime blockade measures announced by the Houthi armed forces are "only for Saudi Arabia" and are a response to Saudi Arabia's "blockade" of areas controlled by the Houthi armed forces.