Yemen and the Red Sea

Houthis say Bab el-Mandeb blockade targets only Saudi traffic

This version is a correction.

DIPLOMACY
Location
Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Actors
Houthis · Saudi Arabia · United States
Importance
Notable

A senior Houthi negotiator said the group was not seeking to close Bab el-Mandeb to all shipping and that its maritime blockade “only affects the Saudi side,” after attacks on two Saudi tankers earlier in the week.

Mohammed Abdusalam wrote on 24 July 2026 that “there is no closure of Bab el-Mandab as some are suggesting,” limiting the declared embargo to Saudi-linked traffic. The clarification came after Encelia/Layla claims and as Trump threatened major military punishment for further Houthi attacks on Saudi ships.

Verification: Confirmed

Evidence: Houthis say they aren't seeking to close Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Blockade "only affects the Saudi side", Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tanker as US launches more Iran strikes