Houthis tighten grip on key Red Sea oil route

The Houthi movement’s offensive in Yemen has intensified pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil exports by tightening control over a vital shipping corridor. The group now dominates the Yemeni port of Mocha and Perim Island, both located near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait—the southern gateway to the Red Sea. Though the Houthis have not yet blocked all maritime traffic, their expanded influence threatens vessels transiting the route, which transports 8.1 million barrels of crude and petroleum products daily to Asian buyers, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Saudi Arabia’s dependence on the Red Sea pathway has grown since disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, its traditional export artery, forced a sharp reduction in west-coast shipments. Earlier in the conflict, daily volumes through that route fell from 4 million to 5 million barrels to roughly 2 million in August, based on Kpler tracking. That vulnerability was further exposed when a drone attack halted the East, West pipeline on Friday, removing a critical alternative for redirecting oil to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Global oil markets reacted strongly on Thursday, September 10, as Brent crude futures climbed 6.34% to $107.63 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate advanced 6.69% to $102.48. Prices moderated on Friday, settling at $104.61 for Brent, but still posted an 8.7% weekly gain. The erratic trading patterns make it difficult to assign a specific share of the week’s oil-price rise to the Houthi territorial gains alone.

Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, stated that navigation remained safe for ships other than Saudi vessels subject to the group’s previously announced blockade. The next phase will hinge on whether their new territorial gains force a reduction in tanker movements and Saudi export volumes. The duration of the pipeline shutdown will also determine how much oil can reach Yanbu in the first place.