Houthi Advance Exposes Saudi Arabia's Vulnerable Energy Route

Saudi Arabia is facing one of its most complex security challenges since stepping back from large-scale warfare in Yemen, as Houthi advances along the Red Sea have coincided with attacks on Saudi territory and a temporary shutdown of the kingdom's principal oil route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has seized the port city of Mokha, pushed Saudi-backed forces from remaining positions along the western coast, reached the Hanish Islands, and taken Perim, or Mayun, Island in the middle of the Bab el Mandeb Strait. This gives the group an unprecedented military position around the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

Cyril Widdershoven, senior advisor at Blue Water Strategy, described the Houthi advance as a major change in the military balance, but cautioned against equating territorial gains with complete control of Yemen. 'What we are seeing right now is that the balance of power has shifted sharply in the Houthis' favor,' he said.

The Houthi advance also reopened a front that had been largely frozen since a UN-brokered truce in 2022 reduced fighting across Yemen. The internationally recognized Yemeni government has said its forces are regrouping and intend to retake the areas lost to the Houthis, while more than 85,000 Yemenis have been displaced since the beginning of September.

The confrontation is increasingly extending beyond Yemen, with the Houthis resuming missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. This has put pressure on Saudi energy security, which has already been hit by a temporary shutdown of its East-West crude pipeline after drones struck facilities in the Riyadh and Medina regions.