Houthi Blockade Closes Off Key Oil Route, Threatens Global Energy Markets

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have closed off an alternative route for Saudi Arabian oil exports by killing six people in an attack on a commercial vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The incident occurred on August 11, when four crew members were killed and two rescue workers died during subsequent strikes. The victims were from Pakistan and Indonesia.

The Bab el-Mandeb is one of the few alternative outlets for Gulf oil, but the Houthi blockade announcement has put pressure on Saudi Arabia as it attempts to move oil out of the Gulf via two straits that are effectively closed by Iran or Iran-backed forces.