Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
The armed Houthi group vowed on Wednesday to ban Saudi navigation through the Red Sea, threatening the regional and global economy concurrently with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by their Iranian allies.
A Houthi source told “Yemen Monitor” that the movement is considering a response to Saudi Arabia’s continued prevention of an Iranian plane from returning to Sana’a airport, following a major breach executed by the Houthi group and Iran when a “Mahan Air” flight arrived at Sana’a airport on July 3. During that event, the Houthis promised that flights between Sana’a and Tehran would continue.
The source pointed out that blocking Saudi navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait is the primary option on the table to execute the Houthi threat of targeting vital Saudi interests if the group is prevented from controlling air sovereignty in Yemen.
Hizam al-Asad, a member of the movement’s political bureau, said in a tweet on the X platform: “It is unacceptable to tolerate the continuation of Saudi Arabia exporting its oil through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab while it continues its blockade of ports and airports.”
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
This comes at a time when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considering expanding the capacity of the crude oil pipeline extending to the western Red Sea coast, allowing the Kingdom to transport more oil without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This pipeline can transport up to 7 million barrels per day of crude oil to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The CEO of the state-backed oil company “Aramco” stated last May that around 2 million barrels per day feed refineries on the west coast, while about 5 million barrels per day are allocated for export.
Halting oil exports through Saudi export ports on the Red Sea could drive the price per barrel up to $150 amid the escalating tension over the Strait of Hormuz.
This latest escalation follows claims by the Houthis on Friday that the group “confronted” Saudi warplanes that attempted to prevent a civilian Iranian aircraft from landing at Sana’a airport. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition said in an official statement that it would continue to take what it described as “necessary measures” to protect Saudi Arabia’s security and capabilities, and to prevent any violation of Yemen’s sovereignty, emphasizing that these measures will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law.
