Ansarullah official says Bab el-Mandeb is fully closed to Saudi shipping

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the political bureau of Yemen's Ansarullah movement, said in an interview with Al-Manar television, relayed by the IRNA news agency on Sunday, 26 July 2026 (4 Mordad 1405), that the Bab el-Mandeb strait has been completely closed to Saudi shipping. He added that if the United States were to involve itself in the war in Yemen, that would give his side an opportunity to strike Washington, and said escalation would be answered with escalation.

Abdulwahed Abu Ras, Yemen's deputy foreign minister, had earlier said that a "blockade for blockade" equation is now in force. Ansarullah declared a naval blockade of Saudi-linked vessels in response to the blockade of Sanaa airport. These statements are the claim of one party to the conflict and have not been independently verified.

The market significance is clear: Bab el-Mandeb is the chokepoint for part of Saudi Arabia's oil exports from its western coast, and simultaneous pressure on this passage and on the Strait of Hormuz has kept the risk premium in global oil prices, insurance costs and freight rates elevated.