Houthi Factor: Saudi Arabia Warns US Blockade Of Hormuz Could Deepen Oil Crisis

Last Updated:April 14, 2026, 14:44 IST

The warning reflects growing concern in Saudi Arabia that continued pressure on Iran could push it to retaliate beyond Hormuz by targeting the Bab al-Mandeb

Saudi Arabia has urged the United States to reconsider its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the move could provoke Iran into widening the conflict and triggering fresh disruptions across critical global shipping routes.

The warning reflects growing concern in Saudi Arabia that continued pressure on Iran could push it to retaliate beyond Hormuz by targeting the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow passage linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and a vital artery for the kingdom’s remaining oil exports.

The US blockade, which came into force on Monday, is aimed at tightening economic pressure on Iran, whose economy has already been hit hard by sanctions and the ongoing conflict.

Washington acted after weekend threats of military action and last-ditch talks failed to persuade Tehran to ease its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran earlier disrupted shipping by attacking vessels.

Those attacks cut off an estimated 13 million barrels of oil per day from global markets, pushing crude futures above $100 a barrel and underscoring the risks of escalation in one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors.

“President Trump has been clear that he wants the Strait of Hormuz to be fully open to facilitate the free flow of energy," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, adding that the administration remained in close contact with Gulf allies.

She said the US was acting to ensure Iran could not “extort" other countries by threatening global energy supplies.

Saudi Arabia has so far managed to maintain oil exports at roughly prewar levels of around seven million barrels a day by pumping crude across the desert to Red Sea ports.

But officials warn those flows would be at risk if Bab al-Mandeb were shut as well.

Iran’s allies, the Houthis in Yemen, control a long stretch of coastline near the strait and have already demonstrated their ability to disrupt shipping there during the Gaza war. Arab officials said Tehran was increasing pressure on the group to consider renewed action.

“If Iran does want to shut down Bab al-Mandeb, the Houthis are the obvious partner," said Adam Baron, a fellow at New America. “Their response to the Gaza conflict showed they have the capacity to do it."

Iranian signals have reinforced those fears. The semiofficial Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that controls the Strait of Hormuz, warned that a prolonged blockade could prompt Iran to shut the Red Sea gateway as well.

The Bab al-Mandeb, whose name translates as the “Gate of Tears", leads north to the Suez Canal and is one of the most important links for trade between Asia and Europe. Before the Gaza war, about 9.3 million barrels a day of oil and petroleum products passed through the strait.

That volume was cut roughly in half after Houthi attacks, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and traffic has yet to fully recover despite a ceasefire in Gaza.

Although the Houthis have largely stayed out of the current confrontation between Washington and Tehran, after being heavily targeted during a 53-day US campaign that ended last year, they remain a key part of Iran’s regional network and a lever Tehran could still pull if tensions rise further.

The group has publicly said closing Bab al-Mandeb remains one of its options.

Gulf states, while wary of Iran retaining leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, are increasingly uneasy about the economic fallout of a wider maritime shutdown. Regional officials said several countries, including Saudi Arabia, are pressing the US to return to negotiations and are working quietly to restart talks.

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