Yemen’s Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea on July 20, 2026, aiming to disrupt commercial traffic through the strategic waterway [1, 2, 3]. They increased attacks on Saudi oil tankers, firing ballistic missiles that forced vessels to change course or seek alternative ports [1, 2, 3]. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, "We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces" [2]. He also confirmed an operation targeting the tanker NCC GHAZAL for breaching the navigation ban [2].

The Houthis seek to emulate Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz by trying to dominate the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. About 5% of global crude oil passed through the narrowest point of the strait, 29 kilometers wide, in 2024 [4, 2]. Yemeni Foreign Minister-designate Afrah Al-Zouba said, "The Houthis want to copy the Iranian model and this will shut down two main straits, the gateways into the Gulf and Red Sea" [5]. She also urged an end to the conflict by peaceful or other means [6].

Saudi Arabia responded with air strikes on Houthi military sites in Yemen’s Hodeidah province between July 24 and 27, citing threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea [1, 3]. Meanwhile, the Houthis escalated cross-border fire with Saudi-backed government forces from the Red Sea coast to the Saudi border in Yemen’s northwest [5, 6, 4]. The fragile ceasefire reached in 2022 has thus been pierced, raising fears of a return to full-scale war [5, 6, 4].

The maritime blockade and missile attacks have severely reduced shipping traffic through the Red Sea. On July 26, only 11 commodity vessels passed through the area [4]. Additionally, empty supertankers began diverting to Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir because of declining traffic at Saudi export hubs on the Red Sea coast, with at least eight large crude carriers rerouted by early August [7].

On July 28, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a tanker explosion in the southern Red Sea; the crew was safe and no environmental damage was reported [1, 2, 3]. The situation remains tense, with multiple military and maritime developments under close monitoring.