Saudi Arabia's Houthi Appeasement Strategy Backfires, Ports Blockaded

Saudi Arabia's efforts to appease the Houthi rebels in Yemen have backfired, leading to a blockade of its ports. The Houthis, backed by Iran, launched drone attacks on two Saudi tankers on July 22, 2026, after declaring a blockade on Saudi ports.

The attack appears coordinated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to disrupt the flow of Persian Gulf oil. Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline to the Red Sea Port of Yanbu can divert about seven million barrels per day of crude, but this is not enough to bypass the Bab el-Mandeb strait completely.

Riyadh had been buying off the Houthis, stopping airstrikes and withdrawing its forces from Yemen. However, this strategy has failed to bring security to Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by over 1,000 Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks since the conflict began.