Yemen's Houthis declare a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front and threatening oil supply

Yemen's Houthis (Ansarullah) announced on Monday, July 20, 2026, that they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia with immediate effect, a move that opens a new front in the US-Iran war and widens the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Persian Gulf. The Houthis framed the decision as a response to what they called a siege of Yemen by Saudi Arabia.

The announcement rattled energy markets: analysts say a full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, could halt Saudi oil exports to Asia and cut roughly 7% of global oil supply. On the same day, however, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire to salvage the interim deal.